THE Life-boat Saturday " Season" for 1904 is now almost over, and having regard to the wave of commercial de- pression which has been sweeping the country, it has been a decidedly success- ful one. When times are bad it needs all the pluck and all the zeal that can be mustered to make any headway in philanthropic work. Fortunately, how- ever, there has been no lack of either of these very excellent commodities amongst the enthusiastic bands of the Life-boat Saturday workers. Much has therefore been attempted and much triumphantly carried through. By the judicious substitution of a house-to- house collection for a demonstration or a procession, and vice versa—a variety in the moans for securing the one end, aim, and object in view, namely, the procuring of money, being always de- sirable—the Saturday Committees have not only diplomatically adopted what seemed, in the circumstances, to be the most likely plan to succeed in the various cities and towns where the movement has operated, but have also most wisely endeavoured to keep down and prevent (all unnecessary expenditure, and.so to j continue to win and merit the confidence of the charitable public. When the accounts of the Fund are made up at the close of the year, it will doubtless be found that, all things considered, a very j substantial amount has been raised for i the great national life-saving service which the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION has energetically carried on for more than fourscore years, a service which has been instrumental, directly or indirectly, in rescuing nearly 45,000 per- • sons from a watery grave, thus averting dire calamity befalling many thousands ! of " hearths and homes " both at home : and abroad..