AT the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, held at the Royal United Service Institution, Whitehall, on Tuesday, the 15th day of March, The'Eight Honourable the EARL OF CREWE, K.G., in the Chair, the following Report of the Committee of Management was submitted and adopted:— ANNUAL REPORT.

1910.

THE important life-saving work of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION was carried out during the past year with continued and earnest activity and efforts were made to fully maintain, and to increase if possible, the efficiency of the service.

The Committee -of Management have to advert with the deepest regret and sorrow to the great loss which the Institution sustained on the 13th March, 1909—as reported at the last Annual Meeting—by the sad and almost sudden death of their valued Deputy-Chairman, the Earl of Hardwicke. Lord Hardwicke had for many years taken a very active and keen interest in the Life- boat cause, and his death was a great grief to all who had been associated with him. The vacancy in the Deputy- Chairmanship has since been filled by Sir John Cameron Lamb, C.B., C.M.G.

They have to record the retirement on a well-earned pension of their Chief Inspector of Life-boats, Commander St. Vincent Nepean, M.V.O., R N., who served the Institution with the greatest energy and devotion for thirty years. This retirement is felt as a.

; great loss and is deeply regretted by all | concerned in the management of the : Institution.

' On the 9th June, H.R.H. the Prince . of Wales, Vice-Patron and President of j the Institution, accompanied by H.R.H.

; the Princess of Wales, Vice-Patron, of ; the Institution, was present at a j launch of the Life-boat stationed at Newquay, Cornwall. The occasion was one of very considerable local importance and the Royal interest thus again evinced in the work of the Institution cannot fail to be of the utmost : benefit and help to the Life-boat cause.

i i Life-boats.—Three additional motor j Life-boats were sent to the coast last year, one of which went to Stronsay, a • new station established in the Orkneys J and the others to Fishguard and Stromness. It is gratifying to know that they have given satisfaction to the crews at I the stations at which they have been.

! placed. One of these boats has already been instrumental in saving life. Other motor Life-boats are in course of construction. New sailing boats were also supplied to various stations in need of them, the coxswains and crews being, as usual, fully consulted as to the type of boat in which they had most confidence.

The following is a list of the new boats of all kinds sent to the coast during the year :—• Alnmouth .... Northumberland.

Blackrock .... Co. Louth.

Cresswell .... Northumberland.

Eyemouth . . . Berwickshire.

Fishguard (motor) . Pembrokeshire.

Holy Island No. 1 . Northumberland.

Llanddulas . . . Denbighshire.

St. Agnes .... Scilly Islands.

Stromness (motor) . Orkneys.

Stronsay (motor) . . Orkneys.

Thurso Caithness-shiie.

Upgang .... Yorkshire.

Winterton No. 2 . . Norfolk.

At the end of the year 1909, not reckoning Boats in the Reserve, the fleet of the Institution consisted of 270 sailing and pulling Life-boats, 7 motor Life-boats, 4 steam Life-boats and 1 steam tug, making a total of 281 Life- boats and 1 steam tug at Stations on the coast.

Transporting Carnages.—Several new transporting carriages were built and sent to the coast during the year.

Life-buoys.—It will be remembered that in 1906 the Committee of Management introduced into the service Kapok life-belts, which, while possessing all the advantages of the cork life-belt, were found to be much more comfortable for the Life-boatmen to wear, besides affording warmth and protection from the weather. The Committee, encouraged by the success of the new life-belt, have lately taken steps to supply the Life- boats with Kapok life-buoys which will, they are sure, prove superior in many ways to the cork life-buoys. They have not done this without careful experiment, the result of which is to satisfy them that the Kapok buoy is lighter to handle and has greater buoyancy which it retains longer than those hitherto in use.

Inspection of Life-boats. •—• All the stations of the Institution were very carefully inspected in 1909, a report in each case being submitted to and fully considered by the Committee of Management. Wherever necessary, both the boats and their stations were overhauled, repaired and placed in a state of complete efficiency.

Shipwrecks.—The past year, particularly the" earlier and later months, provided plenty of work for the Life-boat crews, and it is very gratifying to be able to report that notwithstanding the many occasions on which the Life-boats were launched not a single Life-boatman lost his life on duty.

The heaviest gales of the year occurred on the 26th-29th October, and 21st-23rd December. On the first "occasion, 25 Life-boats were launched and 22 lives were saved, besides which a vessel was saved and 3 persons were landed. On the occasion of the second gale 25 Life-boats were also launched, resulting in the saving of 42 lives and a vessel, assistance being rendered to 7 other vessels.

Between the 1st January and the 31st December inclusive, the Life-boats were launched 429 times on service, being manned by 6,087 men, and 1,075 times for exercise, the crews numbering 14,788 men; in addition to which the crews were assembled in readiness for service 60 times when fortunately it was found unnecessary to launch.

The number of lives, for the saving of which by Life-boats the Committee of Management granted rewards in 1909 was 434, they also granted rewards for the saving of 210 lives by shore-boats and other means, thus making a total of 644 lives saved during the year. The Life-boats were instrumental in saving 43 vessels and boats.

The following table furnishes the details of the services during each month of the 1909.

January . .

February .

March . . .

April .

May . . .

June . .

July . . .

August . .

September October . .

November December .

Total. .

year : — Kumber o( Lifeboat Launches.

50 36 25 28 21 13 19 34 18 54 35 90 429 The total of lives Lives Savjed by Lifeboats.

66 46 42 45 13 12 13 7 34 49 22 85 434 Vessels and Boats Saved by Lifeboats.

5 3 3 6 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 8 43 Lives Saved by Shore- 18 26 4 8 12 6 4 13 14 63 25 17 210 for the saving of •which the Committee of Management have granted tion of the March, 1824, rewards since the foxmda- Institution on the 4th has been 48,627.

Shore-boats, Total So, Year. life-boats.

1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1883 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 NOTE,— Prior to — — — — — — — — — —— —— — — — —— — — — — —— — — —— etc.

— — — — — — — — — —— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — of Lives.

124 218 175 163 301 463 372 287 310 449 214 364 225 272 456 279 353 128 276 236 193 235 134 157 123 209 470 230 773 BIBS 1863 the lives saved by Life-boats, Shore-boats, Total No.

Year. life-boats. etc. of Lives. j 1853 97 581 678 1854 132 223 355 1855 75 331 406 1856 129 344 473 1857 132 242 374 1858 110 317 427 1859 227 272 499 1860 210 245 455 1861 288 136 424 1862 358 216 574 1863 417 297 714 1864 432 266 698 1865 532 182 714 1866 426 495 921 1867 783 303 1,086 1868 603 259 862 1869 871 360 1,231 1870 513 271 784 1871 658 224 ' 882 1872 569 170 739 1873 471 197 668 1874 543 170 713 1875 726 195 921 1876 515 85 600 1877 848 200 1,048 1878 471 145 616 1879 637 218 855 1880 577 120 697 1881 966 155 1,121 1882 741 143 884 1883 725 230 955 1884 633 159 792 1885 371 184 555 1886 601 160 761 1887 368 204 572 1888 626 174 800 1889 420 207 627 1890 555 218 773 1891 568 168 736 1892 836 220 1,056 1893 428 170 598 1894 649 141 790 1895 533 . 176 709 1896 312 149 461 1897 537 125 662 1898 682 74 756 1899 501 108 609 1900 690 175 865 1901 397 93 490 1902 364 91 455 1903 572 137 709 1904 390 138 528 1905 397 153 550 1906 595 177 772 1907 932 224 1,156 1908 486 152 638 1909 434 210 644 Total 28,659 11,779 48,627 Shore-boats, etc., were DOC separately recoraea.Rewards.—The rewards bestowed by the Institution in 1909 for rescuing lives from shipwreck or for praise- worthy and gallant attempts at rescue ! and in recognition of other good services j rendered to the cause, included 8 Silver Medals and clasps, 1 Decoration, 15 Bin- ocular Glasses, 4 Aneroid Barometers, 23 Votes of Thanks inscribed on vellum and framed, 7 Certificates of Service framed, and 11,994/. 19s. 8d. in money payments, including pensions, retiring allowances, gratuities and compensation for personal injuries or | loss sustained in the service. j At the close of 1909 the Institution had granted since its foundation in March, 1824, 101 Gold Medals and Clasps, 1,269 Silver Medals and Clasps, 69 Decorations, 412 Binocular Glasses, 15 Telescopes, 90 Aneroid Barometers, 1,916 Votes of Thanks inscribed on j vellum, and framed, 213 Certificates of Service framed, and 298,177L in money, including pensions, retiring allowances, payments for injuries, etc.

Aneroids.—In 1909, the Institution supplied, at a considerable reduction in price, 60 Aneroid Barometers. Of these 55 were sold to fishermen and 5 to coasters. Since 1882 the Committee have issued 5,099 of these instruments. j Local Committees.—The work of the i Local Committees has not been easy during the past year owing to the prevailing depression in trade; and the very grateful thanks of the Committee of Management are tendered to them and their officers for their continued zeal and most valuable co-operation, without which the work of the Institution could not be properly and efficiently conducted.

It must be borne in mind that the Branch Local Committees on the coast take charge of the Life-boats and are largely responsible for their action and this important responsibility is accepted by them in addition to the very necessary work of collecting funds towards maintaining their stations.

Life-boat Saturday Fund. —The Central Committee, the District Committees and the Local Committees have continued to do very valuable work in raising funds for the Institution, and the best thanks of the Committee are due to them for their enthusiastic and generous support.

Public Authorities.—Once more the Committee would express their gratitude to the various Light-house and Light- vessel authorities, which include the Elder Brethren of the Trinity House, the Commissioners of the Northern and Irish Lights, as well as other public bodies, for their continued co-operation and help. Also to the Postal Officials and His Majesty's Coastguard, whose invaluable services, more especially in connection with the electrical communications established on the coast for life- saving purposes, and the watching of the coast, have continued to be of the greatest utility. They cannot too strongly urge the necessity for maintaining an efficient system of watching by the Coastguard.

Public Press.—The continued generous advocacy and support of the Public Press has been of the utmost importance to the Institution and is very gratefully acknowledged.

Inventions. — Various suggestions and inventions have been submitted during the past year, and have received the careful attention of the Committee who are always on the look-out for any improvement which may tend to in- creased efficiency.

Finances.—The amount received by the Committee of Management in 1909 in annual subscriptions, donations, dividends, etc., including 19,351?. 16«. id.

from the Life-boat Saturday Fund,was 78,702Z. 5s. lid., an increase of 5,313Z. 9s, IQd. as compared with the corresponding total of 1908. In addition, 47,1592. 14s. were received in legacies, of which 13,7622. 3s, 3d.

was for special trusts or specified purposes. 353/. 12s. 6c?. were also re- ceived in gifts specially earmarked.

Were it not for the valuable help re- ceived by the Institution in legacies its great work could not be carried on efficiently, inasmuch as the moneys received from the other sources of revenue are inadequate for the purpose.

The total expenditure in 1909 was 94,846Z. 7s. Qd. This amount included 38,133£ 5s. 3d. for building, equipping and repairing Life-boats, Life-boat trans- porting carriages, Life-boat houses and slipways ; 17,133Z. Is. 7 t. for subsidies for non-self-supporting stations, branch outlays, aneroids for fishermen and coasters, life-belts and other stores and the store-yard; 32,847Z. 16s. Qd. for payments to coxswains, bowmen and signalmen, to crews, etc., for services and for exercising the Life-boats, for special rewards and recognitions for services; grants to the relatives of deceased Life - boatmen, and for injuries, for pensions, and other retiring allowances to coxswains, bowmen and signalmen; for medals and vellums; also for payments to the inspecting staff. The balance was expended on printing, advertising, postage, telegrams and stationery; 011 salaries, rates, taxes, office expenses and legal charges connected with be- | quests and leases. Each item of receipt I and expenditure has been examined and verified by Mr. Albert W. Wyon, Chartered Accountant, of the | firm of Messrs. Price, Waterhouse & Co.

During the year the Committee in accordance -with the now almost uni- versal practice, sanctioned a pension scheme for the permanent headquarters officials of the Institution on the lines of the system adopted in the Civil Service of the Crown. They had been urged to do so by many of the subscribers and they are satisfied that in adopting Such a course, which they felt was right and just, they had the fullest concurrence of the Governors.

The Institution is now entering on the Jubilee Year of its Royal Charter of Incorporation and the Committee of Management feel that they may avail themselves of the occasion to make a special appeal for financial help, to enable them to meet the growing needs of the Institution, and to take ad- vantage of the improvements which science is offering. The supply of Motor Life-boats in suitable localities, for the purpose of promoting the aims of the Institution, must inevitably bring about an increase of expenditure ; and the Committee venture to ask for increased support from the generosity of the Public, so that their efforts to maintain efficiency in the great national life-saving service which has been committed to their care may not be in any degree in vain.