The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-09-13 00:00:00

HOSPITAL SATURDAY IN LONDON.

Saturday being appointed as "Hospital Satur-
day," a gensral public collection in aid of the funds of
the hospitals and dispensaries of London took place in
the chief thoroughfares of the metropolis; but it is
feared, so far as the street collections are concerned,
that the inclement weather which prevailed will prove
a serious drawback to the object in view, which it was
hoped from the extended and more perfect organisa-
tion this year would be a success beyond precedent.
Not only was the area of the open-air collection ex-
tended, till it stretched from Epping Forest to
Twickenham, and from Enfield to Sydenham, but
the number of street collecting boxes had been
augmented from 1200 to 1500, that number of
persons, chiefly ladies, liming undertaken their charge.
During the year there has been an increase of trade de-
legates connected with the movement from 131 to 200,
and the various committees undertook the duty of
selecting the stations for the street collection in the
several districts. At the West End and in those dis-
tricts where private houses are predominant, the
owners placed their porticoes and entrance halls at
the disposal of the persons appointed to take charge
of the boxes; in the public and trading thoroughfares
the tradesmen had their blinds put up as a shelter, or
gave accommodation at the entrance to their door-
ways; and amongst the warehouses in the City, in St.
Paul's Churchyard in particular, large packing cases
were arranged so that those in charge of the stalls
could sit and be protected from the rain. A novel
feature in connection with this year's Hospital Satur-
day has been an organization which has been for some
time in progress on the part of the trading, friendly,
, and temperance societies in the East of London for a
demonstration in Victoria-park in aid of the fund.
The first portion of the intended programme was duly
carried out, an instrumental concert being given in
Victoria-park, where the band-stand was occu-
pied in succession by the band of the Royal
Naval Asylum at Greenwich, the band of the
K Division of Police, the band of tint Royal
Military Asylum (Chelsea), the band of the Ist
City Artillery, the band of the Tower Hamlets En-
gineers, and by what is known as the Fitzroy Brass
Band. At the conclusion of this portion of the pro-
ceedings the various trade, friendly, and temperance
societies fell into procession, each having a largo con-
tingent in full regalia. About seven o'clock, a large
number of torches having been lighted, the procession
started, and in its progress collections were made.
They seemed to be pretty successful in gathering the
pence of those who lined the thoroughfare. During
the evening the reports made to the committee of the
fund concerning the street collections were of a dis-
heartening character, and a general feeling was ex-
pressed by the ladies who had had charge of the
boxes that there should be another Saturday devoted
to the collection. With respect to the shop returns,
up to Saturday night they had shown a large aug-
mentation on previous collections. Many of the
miimbers of the ceminittee themselves took charge of
the boles at the Healthf Exhibition, the theatres, and
other places of public amusement.