THE Central Committee of the Life-boat Saturday Fund have now completed their first year of work and are issuing their first Annual Report. We have read it with much interest and are satisfied that its contents will afford eminent satisfaction to all the earnest workers up and down the country who have laboured so well and so zealously to sustain and extend the Life-boat Saturday movement. We cannot but think that the Central Committee them- selves must be gratified at their own success, a success which has, we imagine, exceeded their most sanguine expec- tations. Notwithstanding the many obstacles they have had to contend with during the year—placed in their way principally, we understand, by a few persons, who, whilst professing great solicitude for the well-being of the movement, have in reality done their level best to thwart and retard it— remarkable progress has been effected, Life - boat Saturday demonstrations and collections having been held and made in 56 cities and towns which had not previously participated in the movement, now adopted by about 150 important centres of population. From an Institution point of view, however, the most interesting part of the Report is that which has reference to finance, and we draw attention to the financial results for the year with particular satisfaction.

In 1895 the net amount, after paying expenses, received by the Institution from the Life-boat Saturday movement was 10,7907. 19s. 5d., whereas in 1896 this total has not merely been equalled, but increased more than 50 per cent., the actual net amount paid to the Insti- tution in 1896 being 16,2057. 18s. 5d.

Every farthing of this money has been laid out by the Institution on the cox- swains, crews, and launchers, &c., of the life-boats, on special rewards and re- cognitions, in grants to men injured in the service, and to the relatives of men lost on service.

We are also pleased to find that not- withstanding the great amount of new ground which had to be broken requiring naturally a very considerable outlay, the actual expense of working and managing the movement during the past year was less than in the previous year, when the headquarters of the movement were in Manchester and there was no Central Committee. There is every reason to believe that when the organisation has become more perfectly formed and good lessons have been learnt by experience, the percentage cost of management will be still further reduced. One thing is however abundantly evident: that those well-wishers to the movement all over the country who petitioned the Institution to bring the headquarters from Manchester to London, to be guided and managed by a Central Committee principally com- posed of representative delegates sent from the various cities and towns where Life - boat Saturday had been intro- duced were true prophets, and that the transfer was not only fully justified but has been productive of excellent results.

An interesting conference of delegates from the Life-boat Saturday Com- mittees throughout the country was held at the Mansion House in London, by invitation of the Central Committee, on the 25th January last, and was presided over by the LOUD MAYOR OF LONDON, who, in kindly welcoming the workers, testified to the importance of the objects they had in view, which are at once humanitarian and national.

The Committee of the London Life- boat Saturday Fund have also issued their Report, and have been able to show that their first attempt to rouse a greater interest in the work of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION in a portion of the metropolis of the world, was thoroughly successful and has served as an incentive for a campaign on a larger scale this year. Oar readers will be interested to note that the 15th May next is to be "Life-boat Saturday" in London.

In a few weeks the Life - boat Saturday season for 1897 will begin, and we wish all the committees and workers " God - speed" in their self- denying efforts and labour — a labour which is certainly one of love..