The Annual Meeting of Subscribers to the Otago Benevolent Institution was held in the Offices, Farley's Buildings, on Thursday, 11th February, 1875. The President (Mr. A. C. Strode) occupied the chair.

In submitting their Twelfth Annual Report, the Committee regret to Sate that they have been called upon to relieve a more than usual amount of distress, especially during the last six months. This may to some extent be attributed to the large increase of population through Immigration, inasmuch as amongst those persons who have been sent, out here at the expense of the Colony, a considerable number may well be designated "trained paupers," while others are physically unfit tor labour. Of these latter, several heads of families have died, leaving their wives and children dependent upon the funds of the Institution.

The increased expenditure may be further explained by the large number of accidents which have occurred throughout the Province, in which cases wives and families have been left destitute;

2. By the payment of passages of persons who were a burden on the funds, and would otherwise have been unable to reach their friends, who would support them;

3. By the scarcity of houses as compared with the increased population in Dunedin and its neighbourhood, with the consequent increase in rents, creating such a difficulty in finding house accommodation, that the Committee were compelled to apply to the Provincial Government for the temporary use of the Old Police Barracks in Princes Street, in which six families, numbering 36 persons, are now located.

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The sum expended in out-door relief during the year amounted to £956 18s. 7d., of which £267 10s. 6d was paid for rent. The number of persons thus relieved averaged weekly 74; the total number during the year being—adult (males), 203; adult (females), 878; and children, 2756.

In consequence of the increase in the number of male adults at the Institution, especially during the winter months, when it reached 29, the Committee were compelled to enlarge the quarters occupied by them at a cost of £150.

The great want of water at the Institution, especially during the summer, induced the Committee to take advantage of the Company's water, from which source the whole Institution is now efficiently supplied.

Among several improvements contemplated, it is proposed to provide a small detached Sanitarium, to meet any cases of contagious diseases that may occur, no proper provision having been previously made to meet such epidemics as have recently been prevalent in the Province. The Committee appeal to the Public to aid them as heretofore in carrying out any necessary alterations which may be required for the comfort of the inmates.

The average number of Inmates in the Institution during the past year was 78, at a weekly cost of 7s. 5d. per head.

The number of Inmates in the Institution on the 31st December, 1874, was : Male adults, 24; female adults, 4; boys, 26; girls, 22; and the number who have left during the year was : Male adults, 10; female, 3. One old man and one old woman were expelled for breaches of Regulations.

The number of admissions during the year was, male adults, 18; female adults, 3; boys, 1; girls, 8.

The Committee have placed at service during the year 3 boys and 4 girls, and have much pleasure in reporting as to their general good conduct in their various places of service.

On the resignation of Miss Coxhead as schoolmistress, Miss Wilson was appointed to the vacancy, and the Committee have much pleasure in testifying to the uniform attention paid by her to her duties, and the steady progress made by her pupils.

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The Committee, deeming it advisable, both for the sake of economy and better management, to combine the duties of Secretary and Master, appointed Mr. Richard Quin to this office, while Mrs. Quin has taken the place of Matron. Under this arrangement the Institution has, in their opinion, benefited considerably, especially in the increased number of donations and subscriptions.

The attention paid by the religious instructor (Mr. M 'Fie), to the Protestant children and inmates has been, as heretofore, highly satisfactory.

The Medical Report attached hereto, shows the general health of the inmates during the year. The Committee cannot but testify to the successful results arising, notwithstanding prevailing epidemics, from the assiduous attention of Dr. Hocken.

The Committee desire to acknowledge the generous support accorded during the past year by their many subscribers to a charity which has thus been enabled to afford relief to an unusually large amount of distress and destitution, and would commend to the consideration of the public generally the example of those who contribute annually to the funds of the Institution, particularly as every deserving case of distress is relieved without regare to creed or nationality.

The Committee deem it necessary to caution the public against giving money to the several systematic beggars who are in the habit of imposing on the charitable, and request that applicants for relief be referred to the Secretary, Mr. Quin, who is authorised to relieve all urgent and deserving cases.

A. Chetham Strode.

The Balance Sheet having been read,

The Rev. Dr. Stuart said that, as one of the oldest friends of this valuable Institution, he considered it a great privilege to have an opportunity of moving the adoption of the report. He had listened to the introductory remarks of the Chairman, and in the main concurred with them—as to the causes which had led to such considerable demands upon this Institution. Doubtless, thriftless persons had in some way or another found their way to Otago, and those people had been a page 6 direct burden to the Institution. He had noticed also that the authorities at Home seemed to give very extraordinary encouragement to widows with young families to come out here. They came with the expectation of readily finding employment, and beleiving, too, that the employers would take their children. Of course, they were very soon disappointed, and the result was that they gravitated towards Dunedin, where they got very miserable accommodation, and eked out a livelihood by charing and washing, while their children were left to the teaching of the streets, finding their way first to the Benevolent Institution, and ultimately to the Industrial School. He also noticed that the report mentioned another cause of the burdens laid on the Institution—viz., the scarcity of houses. He was delighted the Committee had drawn attention to this matter. He did not think there was another cause of misery in Dunedin so active at the present moment as the high rents, and the extremely imperfect accommodation, or absolute want of any. He found that many people took houses at high rents, and they were obliged to take in lodgers, and the result was poor accommodation, family squabbles, and separations, and ultimately expense to the Benevolent Institution and other institutions of the community. He trusted the citizens would be induced by this paragraph in the report to band together for the purpose of providing accommodation for the working classes. It grieved him exceedingly, six or seven months ago, when an effort was made to float a society for building houses to be sold to working people, to find that that effort met with little or no support, and had to be abandoned. The Rev. Dr. Stuart concluded by paying a high compliment to the conductors of the Institution for the able manner in which they did their work, and for the benefits they conferred upon all classes of the community, without any distinction of creed or country.

Mr. Maitland seconded the adoption of the report, and in doing so, said he fully concurred with the remarks of the last speaker as to the benefits which flowed from the Institution. He had himself witnessed its good efforts, not only in the town, but also in the country districts.

The report and balance-sheet were unanimously adopted.