VICTORIA HOME

Southland Times, Issue 14505, 25 August 1910, Page 2

VICTORIA HOME

THE ANNUAL MEETING. Thete was an unusually large allend-am-e at the annual limi-ling ol the Victoria liome Committee, held yesterday : t f1 et iio..n in llie commodious da\ imrsery al llie liome. The Alayor (Ait \V. A. tilt t presided, ami la his opening remarks slab-d his pleasure ili presiding ill his ol’tieial eivie capacity. The wanm I, the liome had at mu- time met with emisideralde opposition, Iml he thought it was now shown to he necessary, and lilt- piddle generally recognised that Urn 11, mi,- was 'well managed and was doing a..od work under (he aide gnnianee ol iV" committee of Alanageinenl now in .■ii ar a. .Mr (dl made pa rl ien la r reler-,",i-e lo the. pari taken in Ihe I lone- s management b\ the I’resident (Airs .las Ilah-d’i. and remarked on the gradual ci-owih ef insli inl ions such as llie Come, lb.- fell Ilia! ibe way ol Ihe Ira use la-saoi- was undoubtedly hard, and !i;al ii,e i.-n i lea voi t r should noi he in tindirealmn of making it harder. la e;.planaiion of his remark foal work - neh a... [he liome ii teleriook .a r.o Inal i > miereased in various directions. -Mr <hi spoke ef the ei-eehe established by hie conk I’oniKv Women’s Guild lal Cis--1,111"11e i, This was an exiension ol work sn.-ii ~s the Home earned on. Here working people (or others i who l.ad to hj" absent from home during llie da.\ eon! d leave their children When- limy would he well eared for, the small charge of -Id per day being made. In eoaeiiisioii Cm speaker staled that onee Ihe hand was pul to the plough there was no milling bark; llie avenues .or exiension were so numerous. AH t 11 wished the Committee all prosperity in the work it was now so ably undertaking. ANNUAL REPORT. In llie annual report the Commit tee slated that this was submitted "’Rli mixed feelings. There was regret that the need of the institution was more than ever apparent; thankfulness that the Committee had been able to respond u> the iniinv calls that had boon mate on it. The 'work had increased in every direction, it had been more than double that of any previous year, and the stall at times had had their hands ImU Thirty-throe girls had been under the care of the Home, live homeless married women had found temporary shettei and tii roc other married women had availed themselves of it (luring time ot sickness. In thn children's cK*pcirtmc*iit ihirly-six babies had been cared for. Ol Miosi.* some had beta admitted lipcjunP lheir mothers were too ill to attend to l hem. others wore kept till homos could he found. Nine children had boon returned to their parents, and three adopted by those who would give them tne care of parents. There was a total ot 7:1 eases dealt with. One marriage was solemnised and four deaths look place of one adult and three children. Accommodation for the little ones had been found inadequate, and in the interests of their health a day nursery had been built. Us eost was defrayed from Hospital Saturday donation of ML The £75 arrears on the former addition had been paid, so there was now no debt on the Home. However, the rapid increase in the number of inmates necessarily increased tlie outlay, and finance was a source of much anxiety. Tlie Committee thanked the many friends who had helped in tin- pasl, and earnestly hoped not only that this help would he continued hut also that many r.ioiv such generous subscribers wouKl lie added this year. in moling tin* adoption ol Ike report, the Rev. G. Lindsay menlhnud that as a record it would not possibly bear I he appearance lo tlie general public that it hail lo the present company who were in full svtnpathv with the work. He had had some hints of tin- amount and character of tlie work done Dot Ii in the Home and outside by the ConniiU lee. He thought the community as a whole owed a gi-enl debt of gralilude to Airs Hail'd Che President) for her work In cmiih-ci ion w ilh Hu- Home. \\ hj ile lamenting the m-eessi t v for sm-li work, they must be gi ate fill that there were people willing to come in and cope wilh it. The speaker made relerenee lo Ihe w ice rescue work in the Old Country, and stated that whilst they were thankful llial there was not here tin- same appalling call in this country for rescue, they recognised that there was much Lo be 'dime. In making reference to Henson’s "Broken Earthenware.” a book dealing with such tilings in London, Air Lindsay drew’ atienlion lo the statement lliat over ninety per cent, of the girls sinned through love and it was only by love that they could k>e rehabilitated.

The Rev. Haycock seconded the adoption, and expressed thankfulness lor an institution such, as the 1 lonic to moo! the needs of tin* time. Tito need was undoubted, and the speaker mentioned that tins lining so, it was not necessary to apologise for the Homo. He laid stress on the reformatory side of the work done in the Home, and spoke well of die efficient manner in which the- work was carried out. Tiie report was adopted. EJXAXUF.

The Treasurer (Mrs Stewart) snhmitl< >1 the balance-sheet. which showed receipts tor Hie year ( iiu-lndini; ;i balance forward of Vi Ss 5d i amount tup- to f-1-0 js (Id, r r Ist- expenditure amounted to f:;G! Ss, leaving tt credit balance of I'o.S 14s (id. of which C.’it! His -Id was in the Savings Hank. Of the receipts, fiM” Ids 7d was down a.s "board,” and fit) as "donations." The itev. It. M. Uyhurn, in moving the adoption of Ihe balance-sheet expressed some surnrise at (he smallness of the donations' It was explained at this staae that the use of tin; word "hoard" was really a misiiunn r. The fill- eonla hied the amount of the small donations subscribed as well ns amounts, recovered from (hose responsible for the maintenance of I!. e children. No eiiar.de whatever was made on the pills for hoard. The fin pul down as •'donation.;" was nee special donation of that amount. IToeeedln;.r alter the explanation. Mr 11v1 111*"11 remarked that il disposed of his cr'i I iesm. lie eon v;ra tnla ted tie- Committee on its economical inanaa.emeiil. and 1,1) (he f.e-[ (hat il had closed tin- year with an increased credit balance. On the ;o p.-cl of the Home's work previousle mentioned, he indicated that sin should 1”' severely denounced, tint ihht the evil effects of’tlie unchristian conditions of society had to he coped with in ;; cnrislian manner. Mr W. H. Scundrelt seconded the adoption. and in so doinp further emphasised what had already heel! said as to the necessity of the I lonm. lie v-as convinced from Ids observation that the v, mk was Well done. The ha lanee-sheel was adopted. TilK HKKSIHKNTS t: KMA 11 If S. In her annual sta lenient, the President Staled her Mi-aliliealion at seeing main- -ji - w fares at the Iheeliii". She was'also [(leased to know that Hu- real of tile Committee .had not been damped 1 , v die many d i flien 1 1 h-s and diseimrapenieiils ei n--din l ered. Mrs Ilai rd eloqmnfIv set forth Ho- claims of the work done 11 y the Ihnne m>on chr'.st lans. Its very ! ,e. sio.ie was pity and compassion, and the l-'ininder of Christ iani l y came to Hie world moved l>v piiy. If in dump litis W-■„,■!; they were aide to follow in His footsteps they Wei" plad to lie aide to hear with the hroken-iiearled. the friendless and the fallen. They w.-re aware (hat there were people who did not apree with them, Who questioned the Utility of 1],,, work. ( (hji-i-t ions Were taised on the prouiid dial sin should he punished. She 'did no! think there was any pine.- in Inverearpil! wle-re the fact that the way of Ira lisp lessor.; is hard was more plainly seen I ban at I’m- Home. Mrs Hail'd referred In tin- ideal of .luslio-, '.v iI il dm evenly-balanc-d si-ah-s and Id tad lidded ;1 1 a t no d i.-ei'i in ilia 1 Imi mipht he made ) I( .|\ve-n the weal-; and the slronp, the rich and (he I (he man ami the woman. That idoal was not tin- jm-diee of everyday. They saw the Weak made 10 suffer while Ihe slroiip escaped, 'I he Conimillee smiyhl to in some measure redress Ihe lialai-.ee. to sneeonr Ihe descried and to print; to Jnslire the deserter. Site appealed lo I hem lo l-eeoe-nisi- the nryeney I'm- these mea-airrs and (o' remember Unit "Hlcs.-a-d are Ihe merciful for they shall obtain mercy." HKXKHAH. Mr A. A. I’aape, in response lo a request from the chairman, spoke a few word-:, statins that his early views re--■ardin--' Ihe institution had I chasiI dn fin a recent years liy ol.servatiou of lie- work done hv the Home, He menlioiicd Inal I lien- 'wee- possible means l,v which tin- funds could In- aupna ■nt ed, and 1m Would pler-'.-d lo assist in -,vh aI ever wav he could. -,| ~s ,| | , MeC.i-in-r, as a m-mhi-r of the : -in nmi 11 mentioned tile (h-a) of liamlde ilml the lioiin- had at lime-, neea-hnmd 11 n ■ Coin in iIIe- -, and 11 1 - * Idea - a ire and *■ neonr i-mim-nl eon.- '-qm-nt ly conveyed to 1!,, , n - Her tin- la ry me.-linp Hint afler- \ nli-; of I hank-: Wen- specially passed 1,, ||,e Matron Willson >. Mr Melaan \- lona ■v l . and JI.-sms Watson ai a I ’ I ia'.sii 1 I -•"ileil.M ■ I In nilll.ilii: -i-'ll 1 11 1 hde. lie- 1: 1 . .Mr Me of Ills i ah', lie- iie■ml -.I- ■ of v. hi<-i I did - i,,. i r <I a I is- w Hi- -’ ;. meal a-. , •Ii- mel ion I i art Ih a I ( i.ah '■ - I Hem I o 1 1. o;. e e ), I i i, ! . l-u.k lo: „ai ,1 to a 1..-! ■ ~-r ami In i ; -h’-s fine oi i 11 hhi.!:. 4 . led lor lie- .-m nine. ;. --a i I'e- hl--ni \| r . la Hai; d ; vie.- p' eahl.-nl M e ( I ,•: si,auk eol i eii 1.--- Me ,la-Sl-en-l . A. Ilarp- ■a. .1. I>. M<-( Irm-r. John Tie. lor. I*. Sir.my,. Win, Voiini;. 1-1 .Moii i-e,a I-' ,\| eCi a- - in- v, W, 11 Sea ml re|;, ( I Crnlek.-imiiK. H. C • hit 1 1 h.-i-| .-oq. .1 eii. MeKen/.ie, and Mr Mel,can; , mereIa I .' and tr-asiiv; Mr; .1, Sj .■wa II . 'fli is closed 111-- hied of the m■■e I i II ••.