THE LIFE-BOAT. the Journal of the Royal National Life-Boat Institution
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THE LIFE-BOAT. The Journal of the Royal National Life-Boat Institution. VOL. XXIV. -No. 274.] NOVEMBER, 1921. [PRICE 6d. Notes and News. By GEORGE F. SHEE, M.A., Secretary of the Institution. UNEMPLOYMENT, strikes, the world- have to be spread over a longer period wide trade depression, and the political than was at first contemplated. uncertainty—in a word, the full re- ***** action after the years of war from which we have been suffering during this Naturally, this method of meeting the present year—have necessarily had a deficit by the realisation of investments grave effect on all public charities. cannot be continued indefinitely, par- The Institution has suffered with the ticularly as the annual revenue from rest. If it has perhaps suffered less investments is a most important part of than most, that is because we have a our ordinary income, and without it the most capable and devoted body of sums received from subscriptions and honorary helpers, working for us all donations would not be sufficient to meet through the country, and because the the expenses of the Service. I mention national value of the Service must, what- these facts lest anyone should think, ever be the circumstances of the time, on reading of the many developments make a direct appeal to every patriotic which we are now making, that we have man and woman. i1 not suffered from the prevailing depres- sion. On the contrary, the Institution is passing through a period of grave Nevertheless, the Institution is face to anxiety, and there is urgent need to face with a very heavy deficit on the obtain a great increase of public year's working. It amounts, at the date support. of writing, to over £90,000, and is due entirely to increased expenditure con- Manchester and Salford's Record nected with Motor Boats, new Boat Contribution. Houses, and Slipways. It will therefore In spite of the exceptional difficulties again be necessary to make up the deficit to which I have just referred, the Man- by a transfer from general capital. The chester, Salford and District Branch has Institution is fortunate in this that, again raised a record sum. Its con- during the war, when all construction tribution in 1920 was £5,230, the largest of new Life-boats ceased, it was able sum which the Institution has ever to put by considerable sums. Were it received from it; and had the Branch not for this fact, the only way to meet succeeded in maintaining this record our present difficulties would have been during the past year we should have to curtail the important programme of felt that it was giving the Institution Motor Life-boat construction on which really splendid support. But Man- the Institution embarked some time chester was not content to do this. ago. That would have meant some Determined to show in the most striking sacrifice of the efficiency of the Service ; way that, whatever else might be affected and to sacrifice its efficiency would be to by the scarcity of money, by strikes and risk the loss of lives which could have unemployment, the Life-boat Service been saved. The Committee of Manage- ought not to suffer, it has beaten last ment decided, therefore, that the build- year's record by £340. This increase ing of the new Motor Life-boats should would have been still greater but for go on. But, as was indicated in the the fact that the largest of the Works Annual Report, the programme may Collections had not been completed 190 THE LIFE-BOAT. [NOVEMBER, 1921. when the Branch financial year ended 1920. In Ireland, in spite of the excep- on the 30th September. Oar cordial tional difficulties of these times, both congratulations and most grateful Dublin and Belfast Lough had splendid thanks to Manchester and Salford ! results; and Portrush fell only a little Such help is a great encouragement to below its record sum of 1920. the Institution at a time of grave * * * * * difficulty and anxiety. Oxford, as already reported, had Life-boat Days. a record result, and in the Eastern The general depression and unemploy- Counties, Cromer raised twice as much ment have necessarily had a marked as in 1920, Colchester showed an increase, effect on the results of the Life-boat successful Days were held at Margate, Day Efforts, as will be seen from the list Walton-on-the-Naze, Skegness, and published elsewhere ; but; taken as a Mablethorpe, and a Day was held for whole, they have been extraordinarily the first time at Ely. In the South of good, and are yet another proof of the England there were many successes, hold which the Life-boat Service has on record results being obtained at East- the affection and generosity of the bourne, Southampton, Portsmouth, Ex- public. It is indeed something to be mouth, Teignmouth, Banbury, Truro, proud of that in a year of unexampled Taunton, Ventnor, Shanklin, Frome, difficulty it is possible actually to report Clevedon, and Newbury; while for a number of record results. the first time Days were held at Weston-Super-Mare and Swindon, and ***** proved a great success. As one would expect, the effect of stagnant trade has been greatest in the Efforts in the industrial areas. It has To summarise: In about eighty been most marked in the Midlands and places, which, in 1920, brought in in South Wales. In the agricultural over £5,000, no Days have been held districts and in the seaside resorts the during 1921, and 60 per cent, of the decrease in results has not been so " Days " held show a decrease on the great. The chief effect of the depres- results of 1920. The remaining 40 per sion, however, has been not so much cent, show an increase on 1920, and a decrease where Days have actually about thirty Days were held at places been held, as an inability to carry out which did not have a Day in 1920. Efforts in a good many places. I should add that this summary of ***** results, like the list of Days published elsewhere in this issue, is for the Branch To start with Scotland : Edinburgh, year ending the 30th September, 1921, Aberdeen, Dumferline, Largs, Stranraer, and does not take into account a num- and a number of smaller places have ber of Days held during October, which all actually raised larger sums than belong to the financial year 1922. last year; while the result in Glasgow, though smaller than last year, was, in "House to House" Appeals and the circumstances, very good. In the Collecting Cards. North of England, Manchester and In spite of these notable and encour- Bradford both raised large sums; Preston aging successes, the fact remains that Bridlington, Morecambe, Whitby, and there has been this year a great falling- Hornsea all raised larger sums than in ofl in the income obtained by street 1920. Life-boat Day was revived at appeals. This fact has to be faced, and Wigan, and Middleton held a Day for the the best way of facing it is not simply first time. The Welsh holiday resorts— to say—true though this may be— Colwyn Bay, Llandudno, Aberystwyth, that as the country recovers from its and Barmouth—all had very successful present unexampled business depression Days; and, in spite of the acute depres- so will the proceeds of our Life-boat sion in South Wales, Newport, in the Days increase, but at once to use all neighbouring county of Monmouth- other possible means of appealing to shire, more than doubled its result of the public. We know by experience that, NOVEMBER, 1921.] THE LIFE-BOAT. 191 in bad times as well as good, the public tribute as the Institution could ever will give to the Life-boats as generously hope to receive to the high and uni- as they can. The chief need is for versal appeal of its work. workers to carry our appeals everywhere. I would ask all those who are willing Sir William Hillary's Descendants. to help us in this way, and especially, It is very gratifying to be able to of course, members of the Ladies' report that, as a result of the article on Life-boat Guild, to read the article Sir William Hillary in the May number, published elsewhere in this number on the Institution has heard from his " House to House Collections." I am descendants. It will be remembered confident that if we could get some that his son died withovit issue, but his thousands of ladies who would be daughter, Elizabeth Mary, married a willing systematically to appeal for the Captain Preston and had children, and Institution, in this way, and also with her descendants, who have taken the individual collecting cards, we should name Preston-Hillary, have written and obtain such an increase in our income most kindly offered to place at the dis- as would remove all our present anxiety. posal of the Institution any information which they have about its founder. Life-boat Collecting under Fire. The present head of the family is Mr. The ladies who help the Institution S. R. Preston-Hillary, of Upminster, in by working for it on Life-boat Days Essex, who has become an Honorary have often to endure great fatigue and Vice-President for Life of the Institu- serious discomforts of weather, but I tion, while his two sons have become think they will all admit that no condi- Life Governors. tions have ever been more trying than those most bravely faced by the ladies Certificates for Life-boat Men.