IN our Life-boat Saturday Fund article published in the February number last year, we ventured to prophesy that better results would be obtained by the Life- boat Saturday workers in 1901 than in the preceding year, and we are only too pleased to be able to report that our hopeful prognostications have been fully realised, the nett receipts making up a total in excess of any previous year since the Fund began its work. The marked financial improvement is duej we believe, almost entirely to one thing, and that a very gratifying one, namely, that, notwithstanding the bad- ness of the times and the increasing difficulties met with by all those en- deavouring to raise funds for benevolent and philanthropic objects, owing to the prolonged war operations in South Africa, the friends and earnest sup- porters of the Life-boat Saturday move- ment in England, Scotland and Ireland, resolved to put increased energy into their efforts, and prosecuted their self-denying campaign with greater enthusiasm accompanied by more and better concentrated action. The effect has been far more satisfactory than could have been or was expected. In 1900 the total number of cities and towns sending up to the central com- mittee collections was only 93, a falling off of 22 collections as compared with the year 1899, whereas in the year 1901, not only was the lost ground all recovered, but the numbers of cities and towns sending in collections reached the greatly augmented total of 145, the nett amount realised being 21,433Z. 4s. lid., a grand increase of 9,766Z. 19s. 2d. as compared with the previous year. This is most encouraging, not only to the Life-boat Saturday workers themselves, but also to the Committee of Management of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION and their officers, and we may confidently hope that the very satisfactory advance made last year may not only be maintained in the new year, but may be even still further improved upon. There is no doubt that one of the principal causes of success in 1901 was the solid work done by the Ladies' Auxiliaries. In fact the ladies, as has been so often experienced before, may be said to have " saved the position.".