The Republican journal., 1908-05-28

lingly and .conscientiously co-operated
with the directors in the special
business assigned them.
Our President has proven himself
admirably fitted for the position and
hardly enough appreciation can be ex
pressed of his wise and prudent counsel
and the faithful and at times self-deny-
ing efforts for the society. We have
personally received strength and en-
couragement from his timely advice
and we are certain that it is the unani
nous wish of our members that he
shall again serve us in the capacity of
leader.
The past year has been an unusual y
busy one in our own department and
we have realized as never before that
none but the most careful methods
would result in benefit to the work.
The limit of our annual report can give
only the smallest detail of the actual
labor done and each year adds some
thing to the already Numerous duties.
We have kept all the records of the
society during the year, being obliged to
assume for time some heretofore i'll
other hands and we have made in addi-
ton a summary of all expenses.
Our accounts and records are in
seven different forms.
An examination of the correspond
ence shows more than 1900 letters ana
postas sent out, beside many blanks.
In placing out the girls, visiting the
homes and soliciting we have travelled
the length and breadth of the State and
beyond, visiting As different cities and
towns and few of these several times,
and never before have we come in
touch with so much that was pitiful in
the extreme as in recent months. We
shrink from recital of some scenes,
even had we time to give it. There is
so much truth in the oft repeated say
ing that "One-half the world does not
know how the o5her half lives"
We have collected and turned over
his receipt, $S47OO. Our personal ex-
been S3644. Postage and telephone
toll for the year, S23 49, We have, too,
solicited a large number of articles OF
clothing, among them II new dress pat
terms for the girls from the Goodall
Mills, Sanford.
In October we represented this socl-
ETY. AS a delegate to the first Maine
State Conference Of Charities and Cor
rectiOn at Auburn and at the earnest
solicitation of the committee of ar
engagements presented paper bearing
on our special work. The convention
has been generally reported and the
particulars are familiar to you all. 1t
is sufficient to say that it was repre-
sentative gathering of the foremost
charity workers of our State and the
organization thus perfected is a sure
guarantee of a rising tide of interest
along all lines of philanthropy. The
conference will meet this year in the
autumn in Waterville and we trust the
nearer location will enable more of our
members to attend.
1t is six years since we assumed the
sole management and editing OF our
paper ''The Girls Home During the e
years the paper has been self-sustaining,
though paying bills with close margin,
and there are now some outstanding &C
counts for the April number. Previous
ly there was yearly deficit of $75 to
$50. We are not, however, satisfied with
present conditions. We should have
more subscribers. We have less than
400 on our paid list. We should have
at least two thousand. You all know
the value of the paper and the vast
amount of work put into it. Should it
not receive more support from the
members and friends? We made a
special appeal to those in attendance at
the annual meeting two years ago to
secure at least one new subscriber
within the next month. One member
only did this, and she a resident of
neighboring city. We desire, however,
to express our gratitude to Mrs. S. A.
Morse of Stockton Springs and Mrs. S.
R. Crawford of our own city for kindly
efforts in behalf of the paper.
We have continued to receive gener-
us favors from railroad and steam
.oat officials and many personal friends