page 10

Report of Proceedings at the Annual Meeting.

After the reading of the Report and the Statement of Receipts and Disbursements,

The Rev. Dr. Stuart said: Will you allow me, sir, to ask a question? It is stated here that "during the past year the Legislature, acting upon the recommendation of the trustees of the Dunedin Savings Bank, appropriated the large sum of £7515, being a portion of accumulated profits on deposits, to be invested for the benefit of this institution." Has that money been transferred to this institution?

The Chairman: I may mention, Doctor, as a trustee of the Savings Bank, that I was one who attended the meeting when that was done, and the thing has been carried out so far as the law permits. The Governor's assent has been given to it, and we have gone further—that is, myself and some others from this institution—we have selected from the securities of the Savings Bank what are considered the best securities; we have taken the highest interest, and it only now requires a formal meeting between the Committee and the Trustees to have it carried out. The Institution is receiving the interest all along. It is merely a matter of completion.

Rev. Dr. Roseby: There is no mention in the balance-sheet of the sum that was received by the Carnival in Mr. Inglis' building some months ago.

The Chairman: Oh yes, there is.

The Rev. Dr. Roseby: But there is a Government subsidy of an equal amount to that, is there not?

The Chairman: This balance-sheet was made up to the end of the last financial year. The subsidy from the page 11 Government will be shown next year. It was received in January.

The Rev. J. U. Davis: In the second paragraph of the report, Mr. Chairman, it states that "notwithstanding that the direct subscriptions, which for the year 1877 reached the sum of £1990 4s. 1d., this year only amounted to £1719 10s. 10d., it will be seen that the cause of charity and benevolence is by no weans on the decline among us." Would it not be well to put in: "It will be seen from the results of the Carnival"—because there is no doubt the Carnival has caused the drop.

The Chairman: The suggestion is not a bad one. and I think the addition might be made. There is no doubt that that was an extraordinary effort, and it is well that it should be recognised. At the same time, I may remark that the people who have contributed to the Carnival have been people who would have contributed otherwise. These extraordinary efforts are sometimes hindrances to the secretary in obtaining subscriptions, because people say: "Oh, I have given to the Carnival." However, it is as well to make the alteration.

The alteration was accordingly made.

The Rev. Dr. Stuart then said: Mr. Chairman, I rise to move the adoption of the report. I am sure that to the friends of this Institution it must afford very great pleasure to know that the community from year to year extend to it their substantial support. So far as I know, the Institution, from the day it was launched, has maintained its popularity with the people, and I am of opinion that it is mainly owing to this that all along they have had much confidence in the management. So far as I know, the gentlemen who have given all their time to the work, which is somewhat difficult and somewhat delicate, have done it with remarkable success. I am sure it is not out of place to accord in connection with the management very special credit to my friend Mr. Strode. I have always been of opinion that the education he has had as a magistrate on the Bench has very specially fitted him for eliciting information from applicants for relief. And it is very gratifying that, though the Committee are sometimes reduced to straits—are obliged to give their own names for a very heavy overdraft—it is very page 12 gratifying to think that the community, including the churches, always make it their business before the annual meeting conies round to put the requisite funds at their disposal to relieve the gentlemen who have given their names to the bank and provided the funds. I am sure we are particularly indebted to the friends who originated the Carnival movement last year. I know that these men in originating that movement were .actuated by the purest benevolence. I happened to be present at one of their first meetings, and was delighted to find that their great object was—knowing that the Committee was hard up—to secure for them, in view of dull times and straightened means, the requisite pabulum. You know how successfully the movement was carried out, and how it put a very comfortable sum at the disposal of the Committee.—(Hear, hear.) It is to many of us a source of regret that in a community so young and so flourishing as this there should be such considerable demand on the charity of the people. My own conviction is that these demands originate very much from popular sins—from the intemperance of a considerable section of the community, and, as the report shows, in wife-desertion. There is nothing, I think, that reflects more severely on this community than the number of young men who, in hard times and when work is not easily secured, leave their wives to the tender charities of their neighbours and to this Institution. It is extremely discreditable to us; and if anything could be done by legislation or by public opinion to throw out of existence the cowardice which to some extent exists, and which shows itself by neglecting the poor wife and the little children, requiring her to bear the humiliation to come before your attention and to implore such assistance as you never refuse when the case is really a deserving one. I am very thankful that you draw attention to one form of sin which largely exists in our midst. I would have been very thankful to this Committee—for none have better means of ascertaining the cause of the poverty around us—if they had drawn attention to the tippling and intemperance in our midst, and which certainly brings to this Institution a considerable number of those who have to be supported. I have great pleasure in moving the adoption of the report, for, as one of the community, I know the valuable and Christian work that the Committee page 13 are rendering to the people, and indeed to all the Churches.—(Applause.)

The Rev. Dr. Copland said: Mr. Chairman, I beg leave to second the proposal that has been submitted. I think that the report is exceedingly satisfactory, as indicating the zeal and diligence of the Committee in overtaking the work which had to be done; and it is also satisfactory as showing us that the community have so far responded nobly to the necessities that have arisen. At the same time there is some degree of fear to which I must confess on account of the circumstance that, while looking at the reports year by year, there is a steady keeping up and even increase of the numbers—speaking generally—requiring help certainly proportionate to the increase of the population; yet there is not a corresponding increase of regular subscriptions. There is a difference of nearly £200 in the regular subscriptions between this year and the last, although possibly, but for the Carnival, the amount that was obtained last year might have been obtained this year in the regular way. It seems to me as if there was a comparatively small section of the community who realised the burden which rested upon them, and fairly fulfilled the part which might be expected of them. During last year close upon £5000 has been expended, of which the whole, with the exception of the sum of £683 required for fencing and building—was expended for the ordinary regular purposes which might be expected to arise year by year. Now to meet this, the only regular source of income, as indicated this year, is the amount of the subscriptions and collections, and even though these surpass what has been adhered to this year or last—even though we should collect £2000 of subscriptions, and obtain an equal amount of Government subsidy, still we should be considerably short of what is required for the interests of the Institution. I think, therefore, that public attention should be drawn to the necessity of enlarging the sphere of those who contribute to the regular support of this Institution. These extra efforts—for which we must indeed be grateful—in the past, cannot be expected year by year continually, and without them we may wake some year to find that funds are far short, and some different method—namely, legal assessment, must be resorted to—(No, no!)—and that, I hold very strongly, would be a calamity which we should en- page 14 deavour to stave off as long as we possibly can.—(Applause.) Now there is another matter which has been referred to—that of wife-desertion. The number is slightly less than it was last year—it is 26, as compared with 32 last year; but then, in addition to these 26, there are 4 whose families had to be assisted on account of the men being put in gaol. Well, all these cases throw a very large number as a burden upon this Institution. Most of the men will escape to neighbouring Colonies, and then our legislation is powerless. Now could not some very direct effort be made to request the Government—one of the influential members of the Government—to take charge of some measure that would obviate this very serious evil? No doubt the same evil will be felt by similar institutions in the neighbouring Colonies, because if we cannot bring back deserting husbands from the neighbouring Colonies these Colonies will be in the same position; whereas, if the same thing were gone into by the several Colonial Governments, this evil might be remedied. And, in connection with this, it is worthy of consideration whether or not the managers of this Institution could not draw attention in some practical and substantial way to the strong necessity of greater providence being exercised by the working classess. In connection with the temptation to wife-desertion, and also the fact that large numbers of widows, with their children, are thrown upon this Institution, plainly indicate a degree of improvidence on the part of the working classes which ought not to be; and considering the opportunities which many of them have of saving money by putting it in the savings bank, or in some friendly society, it is evident that there is a necessity for attention being drawn to this matter. I don't know in what way it could best be done, but possibly this Institution, which is so directly brought in contact with the results of this improvidence, might let its voice be heard in the way that might be deemed most desirable and most effective. I have only to express my very high appreciation of the great zeal and care and efficiency with which the affairs of this Institution are managed; and I am sure that the small number that attend these annual meetings indicates, as has been hinted at on a former occasion, rather a perfect confidence on the part of the public in the Institution than an absolute want of interest in the work itself.—(Applause.)

page 15

The Chairman: Well, gentlemen, on behalf of the Committee I have to thank you very kindly for the compliment paid to the management, and I am sure it is very satisfactory to have it, and that it will be an incentive to go on and work with the same earnestness that they have shown hitherto. The president, Mr. Strode, will be equally pleased, I have no doubt, to know through the papers of the complimentary remarks that have been passed in regard to him by Dr. Stuart. It has been a labour of love with him ever since the formation of the Institution—many years ago now—and the Committee have been actively engaged on their part. There is no doubt that in some cases you will hear of want of discretion in the exercise of their duty by the Committee; but everybody is liable to be imposed upon at times, and there is no doubt that we have been imposed upon occasionally, though at the same time it has not been for want of care. Cases crop up in which we have no alternative but to assist the destitute, without making inquiries into the merits of the case beforehand. I quite agree that there is a great deal of truth in the remarks of Dr. Copland about wife-desertion and drunkenness, and want of economy and forethought on the part of the people; but that is a matter that has been impressed on the public ever since the Institution started, and there has been no action taken up to the present day. It is my duty on behalf of the Committee to thank not only the churches for the very liberal and generous way in which they have responded on all occasions, but also the public, and the promoters of the Carnival movement. In a great measure we are indebted to them for the very healthy position in which our funds are at present.—(Applause.)

The motion was then carried.

On the motion of the Rev. J. U. Davis the following gentlemen were re-elected the officers for the ensuing year:—President, A. Chetham Strode; vice-presidents, R. B Martin and A. Rennie; trustees, A. Chetham Strode and R. B. Martin; treasurer, J. Brown; medical officer, Dr. Hocken; committee of management, James Fulton, A. Rennie, James Brown, John Hislop, R. A. Lowe, Captain Thomson, A. H. Ross, T. M. Wilkinson; and Mr. James Wilkie was elected in lieu of Mr. Wise, who is at present in England.

The meeting closed with the usual compliments to the chair.

page 16 page 17 page break