The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-01-14


 the sailor as at the present. In almos
 every large seaport on our coast, and il z foreign lands are one and more sailors missions whose aim is to minister com fort and help to the sailors. So that
 apart from the privations, perils and hardships that are necessarily incident
 to his calling, the sailor is not more neglected or more exposed than are
 otther laboring men.
 Yet, despite all that is done In his be-
 half and all the apparent improvement , in the sailors material condition, his
 moral condition is not perCeptibw i'm proved Now and then, as of old on in-
 dividual is rescued from a lie of sin and degradation and becomes shin
 ing example of transforming grace.
 Yet the improvement effected through phllanthropic and legal efforts are only temporary and the sailor relapses soon into his old condition, unless the power of God intervenes and changes his na- ture. So that after years of experience and observation, we are compelled to admit that, however commendable and beneficial it is to improve his present cheerless condition, to make it real oiANt 'S'tiiiS pNiiChvt u iluSl IOl sup short of regeneration of his moral na- ture.
 All these various needs characteris- tics and limitations in sailors life have been borne in mind by our society, and as far as in their power laid the work and institution in it's different branches has been adapted to meet them. How far we have succeeded the intelligent reader may judge for him self as he reads the following plan of the work:
 Establishing and maintaining, 1st, Home, which for pleasantness of situa- tion, completion of appointment, gene ral attractiveness and reasona bleness of charges, is unsurpassed by any Sail ors' Home. Nothing is lacking for physical comfort. Here. if stranded, they are kept till a berth can be ob- | tained; and if sick, cared for when they cannot enter the hospital, It is also meeting place for the boys in the even ing; and instead of having to go to the saloons and other evil places, a large number of men have thus been shielded, and most salutary influence exerted. In connection with the Home we have, l 2d, a reading room well stocked with most of the best current magazines secular and religious weeklies, the best | works of fiction, a reference library and | many other publications. Here also all | kinds of writing materials are fur nished free, special facilities for writ | ing letters provided: and the useful | ness of this room may be gathered from the large number of callers and letters written.
 3d, the supplying of reading matter to the men of the sea. Ship libraries to the number of one hundred and twelve have been issued by the society since its organization. At least athousand persons a year are reached by this means Besides libraries, we give away magazines pamphlets, leaflets, books, Bibles and all kinds of papers It is not difficult to imagine the pleasure and profit thrown into the sailors life by thus peopling his solitude and idle hours with the men and women who have made the world happy by their writings.
 4th chapel for divine services where the truth and grace of God in Christ is proclaimed in it's fulness and freeness, and the salvation of their souls are urged upon them
 9th, a shipping office which is at once both mediatory and benevolent. Then the visiting around the docks the barges and vessels in port by the superinten dent, by which the place is advertised, | and the sailors urgently invited to pay | us a visit.
 These are the main features of our in- | sttution, and though we have to repeat l their enumeration year by year, we feel | that even this repetition is necessary in | order to fix in the readers mind how | admirably planned the work is to min ister to the sailors varied needs in his | many conditions of life.
 Following is a gathering up of the | main statistics of the work accom- plished ruring the year:
 Number of religious services . 61 | Number of attendance at services. .142S Number of attendance at reading
 room ...,.. ..............,......... 292l Number of letters received for sail
 ors .......,............... 1l06 | Number of letters written by etilors 613 Number bundles of papers distribu
 ted .........,..,.......... 42S Number of Bibles given away...... 23 Number of books given away....... 2S7 Number of magazines given away. .S651 Number of visits to vessels. ........ 1522 Number of libraries sent out ........ 112 Number of exchanges. es...,........... IT Number of men shipped .........., 309 Number of articles of clothing giv-
 en .... ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............ l29 l Number of men taken without mon
 ey ...,,....... .. ...,....... lZ 1 Number helped in various ways. 34 Number sent to hospital, ......... 4 Number furnished tickets to Homes
 of Sailors ..........,.....,...... Arrivals at the Home from other places ....- -........,............. 29 Places whence they arrived: Jersey City. Elizabethport, New lt York. Philadelphia, Bridgeport, Buffa- To, New London. Providence, Boston, Nova Scotia, Norway. It Sick men cared for at the Home . IS Some only for dressing, others from two days to three Weeks) le Cash given away. y...,.,.,...........s13 s13 % l These statistics do not, however, ade- E luately indicate the real value of the 1elpfulness of the Home Its restrain i ng influence, homeike appearance and ] together with encourage (