PATIENTS' AND PRISONERS' AID.

Otago Witness, Issue 3395, 9 April 1919, Page 21

PATIENTS' AND PRISONERS' AID.

AN INVALUABLE SOCIETY

FORTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING.

The forty-first annual meeting of the Patients' and Prisoners' Aid Society was held in the City Council Chambers on. Monday, 31st. ult.; There was an influential gathering of citizens prominent in social and philanthropic work in the community. His Honor Mr Justice Sim (president of the society) occupied the chair. The proceedings were opened 'with prayer, offered by the Rev. C Dallaston. As the years go by tho society's field of labour expands more and more, and it has for some time been manifest that some assistance must b& given the agent. The committee has secured the services of Miss Alice Boniface, who will be officially known as Sister Alice. The valuable services of the voluntary workers, ,who take a keen interest in the society's work, and who minister so splendidly to the pleasure of the inmates of the various institutions, have been rendered with the unflagging and altogether praiseworthy energy which has characterised them in past years. Especially is this so with respect to the ladies and gentlemen who carry out the musical services at the Hospital every Sunday. A comparison of the finances of the _ society for the past year with those of its predecessor shows that, notwithstanding the fact that the Hospital Helpers' Association grant did not accrue this year, through the postponement of the collection, the ordinary subscriptions for tho year were £593 19s 7d, as compared with £579 Os 6d the preceding year, of which later sum £163 was contributed from Hospital Saturday. On the expenditure side there was disbursed in general charity in the year just closed £229 17s 2d, as against £194 Is Id in the preceding year. The other items of expenditure varied but little, and there remained at the close of the year a credit balance in the bank of £l9O 12s, and of cash in hand £l3 Bs, as compared with £l4B 6s 4d for the preceding year. These figures are highly satisfactory. Inter alia, the report of the agent states: In the dispensing of relief no distinction whatever is made ? save on the grounds of physical conditions and known character of the applicant. In a number _of instances I have declined to comply with unreasonable requests, and have been careful as far as possible to resist the spirit of pauperism wherever manifested. I have had more people, male and female, handed over to me upon probation during the past year than has been the case in any previous • year in the Dunedin centre. In the way of court work quito a large amount of work has been done, and I may with honesty say that this branch of the society's work has never been more sUtisfactory. The large number of cases referred by the magistrates to your agent have all. with rare exception, been satisfactorily placed and sheperded, and are giving a good account of themselves. The Dunedin Hospital has called for a considerable amount of the agent's time. In moving the adoption of the annual report and balance sheet, the President said that although the work of the society from year to year was very much the same in character, there had been a gradual increase in the volume of that work, so much so that the committee had found it necessary to appoint a lady assistant, to relieve their agent of part of his work. The choice made appeared to have been a very fortunafca one. The committee reported that although.' Sister Alice had been appointed for only two months, she had made a good beginning, and was already affording valuable help in the work of the society. In addition to his ordinary strenuous work this year their agent (Mr Gumming) had been engaged on investigating and reporting on cases for the Military Service Board. As soon as he was released from that work he took charge of the influenza hospital at Knox Church School, and rendered very valuable service there. The financial position of tho society was sound. There was a credit balanea of £194 brought forward from yedr, and the total receipts were £705, while tho expenditure was about £709. It should be noted that tho receipts included two legacies of £2O and £50,. and. of course, the society could not hope for windfalls of that kind every year. He referred to the generous self-denial shown by four working- men, who had each contributed a sum of £1 5s to purchase the agent's annual pass as a way of showing their gratitudo for the assistance of the society in time of severe sickness. His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark), in seconding the motion, said that tho gathering present was quite sufficient testimony to show that as tho years went en the public appreciation of and gratitudo to The society grew greater. Miss M. Downie Stewart supported the motion, and said the«report afforded ample testimony of tho good work tho society continued io do.

Dr Bowie Laid that during the past year ho had boon compelled to appeal to the society's agent on many occasions, sometimes in circumstances of apparently insurmountable difficulty, but on every occasion Mr Gumming had faced the difficulty cheerfully and with perfect success. Dr Bowio paid a tribute to the splendid work Mr dimming had done in organising the emergency hospital at J£nps Sunday School during tho

epidemic, and thanked the society most heartily for giving theirs agent at that time. "Without him I do not know what we should have done," _ concluded Dr Bowie. Before the motion -was put, Mr G. Fenwick asked leave to rectify an omission in the report, and made reference to the_ loss during 1 th© past year of two prominent members of the society—Mr W. L. Philp and Mr E. E. C. Quick, who had been not only a member of their committee, but also a vice-president. He moved the following addition to the report:—"During the year the society suffered the loss by death of two good friends —Messrs W. L. Philp and E. E. C. Quick, each of whom bequeathed a sum of money in aid of tho society's funds. Mr Quick especially had for many years taken an active part in the society's work." He further moved that the minute adopted by tho committee recording Mr Quick's services be embodied in the annual report. Mr G. L, Denniston seconded the amendment, which was carried, and tho report was adopted with that addition. The Roy. R. E. Davies moved the following resolution:—"That a hearty vote of thanks be accorded to the ladies_ and gentlemen who have assisted the society in connection with their services in the several institutions, to tho collectors for their valuable assistance, to the churches who have give<n retiring collections, and friends for liberal donations and employment to persons who have been recommended by the agent, and to the .officers of the several institutions for assistance rendered; and, further, that the Patients and Prisoner's' Aid Society is worth's of support." Mr Davies referred specially to tho energy, tact, and organising ability Mr Gumming had shown during tho epidemic, and said he had admired his keen insight into humanity. He congratulate'l the society on the appointment of Sister Alice, whom he knew well, and said ho .was co,nfiden£ that she would fulfil all their expectations. Major Gunn, of the Salvation Army, seconded tho and complimented the society on the work it was doing. The motion was carried. Mr R. Gilkison moved the re-election of Mr Justice Sim as president for the ensuing year. The society, he said, was very much indebted to his' Honor for the assistance and sympathy he had given in the past ; Mr D. E. Thcomin seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. Tho Rev. E. A. Axelsen moved—" That the following gentlemen, be office-bearers for the ensuinn- year:—Vice-president, Mr G. Fenwick; hon. treasurer, Mr E. R. Smith; hon. secretary to the committee, Mr W. L. Logie; committee —Bt Colquhoun, Messrs H. Y. Widdojvson, S.M., Peter Barr, W. Downie Stewart, M.P.. J. M. Gallaway, D. E. Theomin, G. L. Denniston, F. Z. Moore, Walter Gow, A. S. Paterson, G. R. Ritchie, Robert Gilkison, H. H. Driver, Walter Bull, T. Somerville, C. W. Chamberlain, P. M'Skimming, jun., VV. Easton, and Walter Blackie. . Mr E. Rosevqar seconded the motion, and it was carried. Mr G. Fenwick (chairman of the society s committee) said it was scarcely necessary to make reference to Mr Cumming's services after what had been already said, save to say generally that Mr Gumming had the absolute confidence of his committee. Sister Alice,. who was very cordially received, thanked the committee for having appointed her to the position of assistant to Mr Gumming in his great work. * Sho had already begun visiting the various institutions with which the society was concerned, and had been greatly gratified and ipspired by the hearty welcome she had received from the heads of these institutions. Mr dimming spoke of the great need of a convalescent institution under the control of the society. A partof the work that caused him great satisfaction was the probation work. During the past year, notwithstanding the large number that had been released on probation by the courts and the Prisons Board, he had had no occasion to ask, for a single license to be cancelled. Large sums of money were paid through him as probation officer, and one man who was doing well in Dunedin had given him nearly £l6O to_ make good moneys that he had misapplied. He felt deeply humiliated when he heard the magnificent appreciation of the work he had tried to do during tho past year, and he must say that much of what had been accomplished was due to the committee.. In his work of investigation for the Military Service Board it was gratifying to be to state that not a single report oL r his had been turned down by the board or objected to by an appellant's solicitor. The proceedings closed with a very hearty vote of thank's to the chair.