At the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE- BOAT INSTITUTION, held at St. Martin's Town Hall, Charing Cross Road, on Saturday, the 18th day of March, 1899, the Eight Hon.

the Earl of DERBY, K.G-., G.C.B., in the Chair, the following Report of the Committee of Management was submitted and adopted:— ANNUAL KBPOBT.

1899.

The great life-saving work of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has been carried out during the past year with continued and earnest activity, and every effort has been made to maintain and if possible to increase the efficiency of the service.

It is with the deepest regret that the Committee of Management have to advert to the great loss which the Institution has recently sustained by the death of their President, ALGERNON GEORGE PEROT, 6th Duke of NORTHTUMBERLAND. His Grace, who died on the 2nd January last, had for the long period of thirty-three years cordially co-operated in carrying out the national and philanthropic objects of the Institution. He took a warm interest in its progress and development and was much concerned if anything happened which he thought might be prejudicial to its interests.

Lifeboats.—The latest additions to the Institution's fleet include two Steam Life- boats, the principle of which differs somewhat from that of the other three already built by the Institution. The construction of these boats is, speak- ing generally, similar to those already in the service, but with the important difference that their after ends are hollowed out so as to form a tunnel for the protection of the screw which has been adopted in these boats instead of the turbine. The loss of power inseparable from the use of the turbine will thus be avoided, and it is hoped that the screw will prove so well protected from fouling as to leave nothing to be desired in this respect. One of the new boats has been stationed at Grimsby, and the other has been sent to Padstow. At both these places they will be, it is thought, the means of rendering prompt and ready help to the crews of vessels in distress.

During the year steps have been taken to strengthen considerably the arrange- ments for life-saving at Margate, which has always been an important station.

Hitherto the necessary work has been done by one Life-boat, but of late it has been found that more still could be effected if new and improved launching facilities and a second boat were added.

The Committee have therefore, at the cost of nearly 4,0001., built two slipways adjoining the Margate Pier, at the head of each of which has been placed a new and powerful sailing Life-boat.

Seven other stations have also been supplied with new Life-boats, in the selection of which the coxswains and crews have been fully consulted.

The following is a complete list of the stations to which the new boats have been appropriated:— Grimsby (Steam Life-') boat) ... / Margate (two Life-boats) Plymouth.....

Cadgwith ....

Padstow (Steam Life- boat) ....

Pwllheli.....

Hew Brighton . .

Irvine ......

Campbeltown . . .

Kingstown (No. 2 Life-1 boat) ..,../ Lincolnshire.

Kent.

Devonshire.

Cornwall.

Carnarvonshire.

Cheshire.

Ayrshire.

Argyllshire.

Dublin.

Daring the year the stations at Bnrry Port, Fethard and Penarth have also been furnished with boats better suited for their requirements.

At the close of the year there were 294 Life-boats on the coast belonging to the Institution, and boats have been with- drawn from Balbriggan, Barmston, Chapel and Point of Ayr, other and improved arrangements having been made in the respective localities.

Transporting Carriages.—New trans- porting carriages have been supplied at nine stations, and others are now iu course of construction.

Inspection of Life-boats, &c.—All the Institution's Stations have during the year been very carefully inspected by the officers appointed by the Committee of Management for the purpose, and a full report has in each instance been sub- mitted to the Committee for their guid- ance and information.

Shipwrecks.—Notwithstanding that the past year, taken as a whole, was a re- markably fine one from a Life-boat point of view, there was plenty of work for the Life-boats and their crews to do during the comparatively few fitful gales which were experienced. The heaviest gales of the year occurred on the 24th to 28th March, the 16th to 22nd October, and the 22nd to 24th November. In the first case, 36 boats of the Institution were launched on service, resulting in the saving of 90 lives, and the landing of 5 other persons from vessels in dangerous positions. In the second case, 28 Life- boats were launched, resulting in the saving of 30 lives and the safe landing of 9 other persons from vessels in peril; and in the third case, there were 26 launches, resulting in the saving of 69 lives. During the month of August, there were no less than 37 Life-boats launched on service, by which means 34 lives were saved. This number of launches was abnormal having regard to the time of year.

In 1898, the Life-boats were launched altogether on service 375 times and 1,081 times for exercise, in addition to which the crews were assembled on 77 other occasions for service, their assistance not being ultimately required.

The Committee are thankful to be able to report that notwithstanding the many thousands of Life-boat men who went afloat in the Life-boats during the year only one lost his life on service, and he in all probability would not have perished if he had not, contrary to the regulations, gone out in the Life-boat without his life-belt. In all probability this was due to his desire not to delay the launching of the boat. A local col- lection was made for the widow and orphans, to which the Institution con- tributed £300.

The number of lives for the saving of which the Institution granted rewards last year was 756; of these 682 were saved by Life-boats and 74 by shore- boats and other means. In addition to which the Life-boat crews saved 22 Year. No. of Lives.

1884 792 Year. No. of Lives.

18y3 598 vessels. 1885 555 1894 790 1 The details of the services during each 1886 761 1895 709 month of the year are as follows : — 1887 572 1888 800 1896 461 1897 662 1889 627 1898 75'i T » yog 1890 765 Total 41,233 Number Lives Vessels 1891 736 of Life- Saved Saved hv 1892 1,056 1898. boat by Life- by Life- oy Launches. boats. boats. snore- Boats. Heieards. — The rewards given by the January 17 17 2 IS Institution last year for the saving of life February March 32 55 42 96 2 2 1 • 18 from shipwreck on the coasts of the April . 43 43 7 United Kingdom, or for creditable eff-irts May .

June . 13 7 31 25 4 4 to do so, and in recognition of other good July . 10 8 2 10 services rendered to the Service, included August September 37 16 34 38 3 2 5 12 Silver Medals and Clasps, 6 Binocular October . 44 141 2 6 Glasses, 5 Aneroid Barometers, 28 Votes of November December 69 42 160 47 5 4 2 Thanks inscribed oil vellnm and framed, QO f ' 4-*fi t- PC. * C A rtt A Total . . 375 682 22 74 10.14R 7s., including grants to relatives of men lost on service, compensation for The boats of the Institution also landed personal injuries received in the Saivice, 137 persons who were on board vessels and retiring allowances. in positions of danger. At the close of the year the Institution The total number of lives for the saving had bestowed altogether in rewards since of which the Institution, has bestowed 1824, 98 Gold Medals and Clasps, 1,173 rewards since its establishment in 1824, Silver Medals and Clasps, 281 Bit' ocular by Life-boats, shore-boats, or by other Glasses, 15 Telescopes, 19 Aneroid Biro- means, has been 41,233, the number for meters, 1,605 Votes of Thanks inscribed each year being as follows : — on vellum and framed, 10 1 Certificates of Year. No. of Lives. Year. No. of Urea. Service framed, and 189,967?. 16s. 6 2. in 1824 124 1854 355 1825 218 1855 406 money. 1826 175 1856 473 1827 163 1857 374 Pensions and Retiring Allowances. — A. 1828 301 1858 427 special feature of the year baa been the 1829 463 1830 372 1859 1860 499 455 system of granting Pensions and Betiring 1831 287 1881 424 Allowances. It has always been the 1832 310 1833 449 1862 1863 574 714 practice of the Institution for many years 1834 214 1864 698 past to grant retiring allowances to 1835 364 1865 714 coxswains and others after eood service : 1836 225 1837 272 1866 1867 951 1,086 but, inasmuch as the Institution in 1838 456 1868 862 November, 1897, was then tnrnirg its 1839 279 1840 353 1869 1870 1,231 attention to the subject of Pensions, it 1841 128 1871 882 was the opinion of the Committee of 1842 276 1872 739 Management that the time had come 1843 236 1844 193 1873 1874 668 713 when the retiring allowances should be 1845 235 1875 921 regulated according to a definite scheme. 1846 134 1876 600 A Special Committee was therefore 1847 157 1848 123 1877 1878 1,048 616 appointed to consider and report upou 1849 209 1879 855 the subject of pensions and allowances. 1850 470 1851 230 1880 1881 697 1,121 The result of their labours is the system 1852 773 1882 884 of granting pensions and retiring 1853 678 1883 955 allowances to coxswains, bowmen and signalmen retiring after good and faithful service on account of old age, accident, ill-health or abolition of office. This system has been in operation since the 1st January, 1898, and has given the greatest satisfaction throughout the Ser- vice and has certainly increased .the popularity of the Service with the crews who man the boats.

Aneroids.—A considerable number of these extremely useful and reliable instru- ments were sold iii the year, at a reduction of two-thirds in the retail price, to the masters and owners of fishing-boats and small coasters. Of the 172 aneroids so supplied 123 were provided for Fishermen and 49 for Coasters. The total number supplied since June 1882 has been 4,051.

Removal of Wrecks.—The amended Act of 1889, passed through the instrumen- tality of the Institution, providing for the lernoval of wrtcks in Lon-navigable waters dangerous to the Life-boats and their crews when carrying out life-saving work, continues to bear good fruit, as it has empowered the Elder Brethren of the Trinity House and other authorities to remove wrecks with which they would otherwise have been unable to deal.

Electrical Communication on the Coast.

—Steady if not rapid progress has been made during the past year in the estab- lishment by the Government of telegra- phic and telephonic connections on the coast for life-saving purposes—a tystem of very great importance, adopted by the Treasury in 1892 at the instance of the Institution. The use and importance ol these telephonic and telegraphic connec- tions is each year increasingly demon- strated, they being more and more tm- ployed, as was of course the intention for calling out Life-boats when required preventing unnecessary launches and for warning Life-boat crews to be on the alerl to render assistance.

Local Committees, &c.—The grateful and cordial thanks of the Committee are due to all the honorary officials connected with the Institution, who, in the capacity of Secretaries, Treasurers, Branch Com- mittee men, &c., have rendered invaluable lelp to the cause. Such sustained aid, iven so generously and freely, is of the first importance, and enables the Com- mittee of Management to carry on the ;reat but onerous work which has been entrusted to them.

The Committee also desire to recognize ihe very valuable assistance they have received from the Public Press, as well as he much appreciated co-operation of the Coastguard.

The best acknowledgments of the Committee are also tendered to the patentees and inventors who have been so good as to submit their proposals for consideration, trusting that they might prove useful for the Institution's pur- poses. The Committee are at all times lad and anxious to receive any sugges- tions which may tend to increased efficiency.

Life 'boat Saturday.—The Central Com- mittee of the Life-boat Saturday Fund are to be heartily congratulated on the increased success of their efforts during the past year, aud the best thanks of the Committee of Management are tendered to them, to the Local Life-boat Saturday Committees, to the officials, to the Ladies' Auxiliaries—of whose good work too much cannot be said—and to all through- out the country who have given a helping hand. The movement would seem to be gaining ground year by year, and diffi- culties which were at one time great and disheartening either have been or are being overcome. There is now every reason to believe that Lite-boat Saturday will ere long be regarded as one of the established institutions of the country.

In 1897 the number of cities and towns in which Life-boat Saturday collections were made was 82, whereas in 1898 the number increased to 113—a large increase of 31.Finances*—.The total amount received by the Committee of Management last year in subscriptions, donations, dividends, &c., and including the contribution re- ceived from the Life-boat Saturday Fund, which amounted to 15,302?. 8s. id.—a large increase of 5.985L 15s. 8d. as com- pared with the total of the previous year —was 71.084Z. 15s. Wd.; and the total amount received in legacies was 37,541?.

3s. 3d. Of this sum, however, 9,8032.

18*. 4.d. was for specific purposes.

The total expenditure in 1898 amounted to 83,958?. 4s. IQd., and included 33,730?.

16s. 4d. for building, equipping, improv- ing, and repairing Life-boats, Life-boat Carriages, Life-boat Houses, and Slip- ways ; 15.74U 12s. 2d. for Subsidies to non-self-supporting Stations, Branch pay- ments, Aneroids for Fishermen and Coasters, Life-belts and other Stores, and the Storeyard; 28,527?. 19s. 11 Z. for pay- ments to Coxswains, Bowmen, Signalmen; to Crews, &c.; for services and for exercising the Life-boats, for special rewards and recognitions for services, grants to the relatives of men lost on service, for injuries, pensions and retiring allowances to Coxswains and Signalmen, medals and vellums; also for payments to Inspectors. The balance was ex- pended in printing, advertising, postage, telegrams, and stationery; on salaries, rent, rates, taxes, housekeeper, and legal expenses connected with leases and be- quests. Every item of receipt and ex- penditure has, as usual, been examined, verified, and passed by Mr. Lovelock, of the firm of Messrs. Lovelock, Whiffen, and Dickinson, 19, Coleman Street, E.G., Chartered Accountants.

The Committee of Management in pre- senting to the Subscribers and the Public their 75th Annual Bep'ort would again earnestly, yet confidently, appeal for re- newed and increased help. Year by jear the amount required to maintain the Service in thorough efficiency, so that it may be suitably equipped to perform the important work entrusted to it, increases, in a measure dne to the large cost involved by the building and up-keep of Steam Life-boats; and with the increased need the difficulty of raising money for this, or any other philanthropic object, continually grows, owing to the multi- plicity of the appeals which day by day are brought under the notice of the Charitable Public. The Committee feel however that the Life-boat cause has a special and peculiar claim on the people of this country, and they therefore believe that the call for liberal financial support now made will not be made in vain..