Ladies' Benevolent Society.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2145, 18 November 1875, Page 2

Ladies' Benevolent Society.

ANNUAL FLOWER SHOW.

We gave in our issue of yesterday an account of the opening of this flower show arid the names of the prize winners. The public were admitted at 3 o'clock in the afternoon up to 5 o'clock, and again later on in.theevening. Tho attendance in the evening was not so large as it has been, owing to the very unpropitious state of the weather, in fact, at one time, we believe, it"was debated whether the show should not be continued to-day in the hope of augmenthig of Music being kiiidly promised to the ladies, j free of charge, should they wish to use it. It was, however, decided that it would, on the whole, be preferable to finish the show, on one day, The rqom when lighted up looked remarkably we'll,' and as far as we could ascertain the visitors spoke highly of the exhibits and the general arrangements. A promenade concert advertised to be given-waa got through very nicely. The following was the programme :— Solo, pianforto, Miss Dow. r , Song, ''..Gome away.V Miss Gillies.;- , f Song |',The Gipsy/s fWarning^-!Miss Mason." "";' '*" ' -■--"-••- . Duet Pianoforte, The Misses Gillies. Song, Miss E. Gillies. Song, " Sebastopol is Won," Mr F. A. Pulleine. Song, " Ever of Thee,TMi«iS E. Dow. Local song '(original),- 1" "The Daisy," MrW. H. Eeed. J This concluded the concert. The performers all acquitted themselves well and were much applauded, encores iv some cases being demanded ; the performers, however contentedvthemselves with bowing their acknowledgments; " His Worship the Mayor and Mr Eenshaw ascended the stage and the Mayor addressed the meeting regarding the Ladies' Benevolent Society. I He said : That the Ladies Benevolent Society had taken the foremost rank among all their charitable local institutions, and all must join with him in expressing a hope that they wou!d long maintain their-position. More especially was there a need for them to continue their exertions at the present time ; the state of ailairs at the Thames was suffering from a great depression, and now, more than at any other time, was there need of that charitable assistance to those in affliction, or sickness which the Ladies Society knew so well how to bestow. The wages of an ordinary labouring man were never very large, never large enough I in fact to enable him to make provision | for himself, _or family should sickness come upon him, so that when it did come, as come it might, there would be no aid at hand except for the work done by the Ladies Society. To this society they all owed a deep debt of gratitude for the good work they had done, and were doing, doing often at great inconvenience to themselves, for these charitable ministrations of theirs involved taxes on their time which, no doubt, occasioned much inconvenience. Their reward was, a future one for good actions done here, but at the same time the knowledge that they were relieving tho afflicted and suiccourmg the...distressed; must also be to them most grateful now™He~hope<l they would continue in their self-appointed task of labour, and receive their reward hereafter. The sale of the fruit and .flowers, and the entrance money, he hoped, would realise a good sum in their support, and, as time pressed, he would conclude by calling on Mr Eenshaw to read the report. . M^ Benshaw.read the report which was a lengthy one. It referred to the fact that during the past year the funds of the society became so small that one of two things became absolutely necessary. They were obliged either to appeal to the public for further support or break up the society. They chose rather to make an appeal with the result that £98 4s was raised. With this sum during the past year they had assisted eleven widows of whom five were still in receipt of weekly allowances. Seven wives left by their husbands unprovided for had been helped; temporary relief had been afforded in four cases of sudden distress; thirty-one other families had been assisted by a weekly allowence for terms varying from one to forty weeks; and two children been admitted to the orphan home. The thanks of the society were given in the report to the members of the medical profession, the Northern Pioneer Lodge of the Order of Good Templars, and the Cricketers' Amateur Dramatic Club. The balance sheet was as follows :— Receipts : To balance 25th November 1874, £42 15s 6d; cash Jm hand 25th November, 1874, £Bjpotf^Q^teecds of flower show, 1874^plls 9d^cofcßtion by Freemasons^gpTrent for house, £3 ; donation Good^remplars, £2 9s; entertainment by Dramatic Club, £5 ; donation per Miss Wiseman, £2 2s; Cricketers' Dramatic Club, £30.35; collected by the committee, £99 ss; miscellaneous subscriptions, £4s 16s 6d; committee's subscriptions as per list, £8 10s—total, £251 os 4d. In addition to cash collected by the. committee, Mr E. French supplied goods on the society's orders to the amount of £1, as a donation.—Expenditure : By expenses flower show 1874, including £2 rent of hall, £9:13s lOd ; paid in relief, £140 12s 4d; advertising, £2 10s; rent of hall for show, 1875, in advance, £2 ; cash in hand treasurer, £1 7s 9d ; balance in Bank of New Zealand on 17th November, 1875, £95 Is sd— total, £251 5s 4d.—Examined and found correct.—T. L. Murray, J. D. Grant, Auditors." : ■ T: ~ Captain Richards moved the adoption of the report saying he had much pleasure in doing so, inasmuch as whatever the ladies took in hand they invariably succeeded in doing well. I '. Mr '■: Jefferson seconded ; the motion, which was carried unanimously. ' A vote of thanks was also en the proposal of the Mayor accorded by acclama- | tion to the ladies of the Benevolent Society. : ■,-■■ . . ..-. . After the speeches -were got through, the flowers, vegetables and some of the plants were disposed of by auction. Mr T. W. Gudgeon officiating as auctioneer. These realised the sum of £6, which with £11 15s taken at the doors made the gross receipts £17 15s. This was further augmented by the proceeds of a raffie for a watch given by Mrs G. Bull which brought up the amount to over £20."

The Best Trade Make.—Cash received.