AT first sight it might seem quite unnecessary to explain the meaning of a word which is so descriptive and so obvious in its application to the work of the Institution as the word " National." The operations of the Life-boat extend to the whole of the coasts of the United Kingdom, while the organization which enables us to reach the generous hearts of men aad women in towns and villages remote from the sea, covers the whole country with a network of Branches— English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh—all contributing to the common funds which enable us to fulfil our national purpose.

National the Institution is, too, in the fact that it is tmsectarian, non-party and purely humanitarian in its aim. It is as a national body, moreover, that we appeal to all classes of the inhabitants of these islands in our plea for the service of mankind. And it is peculiarly fitting that a nation, which claims the command of the sea as a necessary con- dition of its existence and of the free movement of its vast shipping, should have been the first to institute a public and fnlly organized system of Life-boat service.

These considerations are obvious, and will occur to anyone who gives a moment's thought to the subject.

But there is another aspect of the significance of the word " national" which, while directly resulting from the above considerations, is not so readily seen, and may easily be lost sight of owing to the prominence which local interests are apt to take with all of us.

There may be, here and there, a tendency to regard the work of a Life-boat as purely local, and related essentially to the particular region in which she is placed. Where the work of the station is taken up with so much enthusiasm and sense of responsibility as we so often see, such a result is not unnatural. It would be a real misfortune, however, if such a mis- conception were to prevail, for it would strike at the very root of the national character and scope of our work.

That a local view of the functions of any Life-boat station rests upon a misconception will be evident if we put a few simple questions. Does anyone think that Lancashire Life-boats go out to save Lancashire men alone ? Do the men of Dunbar and St. Abbs only seek to save the lives of their fellow-fisher- men 1 Who are the people whose lives are saved by the Life-boatmen in the Straits of Dover and in Devon, or Cornwall? Questions like these might be asked with regard to every stretch of the coast; and the answer throws a clear light on the subject under discussion.

The Life-boats in the Straits of Dover save far more people from Lancashire and other distant ports than from Kent; the Life-boatmen of Devon and Cornwall would probably find little to do if their exertions were limited to the saving of their own people; and it would not be going too far to say that there are many stations around the coast, doing excellent work, which might be closed altogether if local needs alone were kept in view. Indeed, one might almost say that, if we except a few stations where the Life-boat happens to be frequently placed at the service of local fishing-cobles, the last people -who are likely to be in need of the services of the Life-boatmen at any given station are the residents in that particular locality.

There is, in fact, no institution in the country whose objects are less local and more truly national. In one sense, indeed, it reaches out beyond the con- fines of these islands, and becomes international, since its object is to serve humanity, regardless of creed, nation or colour. Let us take, for the sake of illustration, a part of the coast at haphazard, and make an analysis of the wrecks which have occurred on the coast of Cornwall during the past winter, in so far as they have come within the purview of the Life-boat service. The result pro- vides an interesting confirmation of the views here put forward. Of the twenty- four vessels wrecked on the Cornish coast, three were Norwegian, one Danish, one Belgian, four French, one German, and two Russian. As for the British vessels, they came from various ports, including Liverpool, Fleetwood, Belfast, and the coast of Devon; but' only one single vessel came from a Cornish port. So that the brave Life- boatmen who did such splendid service in connexion with these wrecks—the rescue of twenty-eight men from the German barque Pindos by the Coverack crew during a terrible storm on the night of February 10th, will be fresh in the minds of our readers—may well feel that they answered the call of distress, not in the smaller spirit which responds to the claims of private affection or local solidarity, but in the grand spirit which is alive to the call of humanity itself.

It will be seen, therefore, that not one of theLife-boat stations of the Institution confines its efforts to the saving of its own people, or lives to itself ; and that for this reason the service is, and must be, national.

Such considerations will show with how much wisdom and foresight the Institution was designed, its manage- ment being committed to a central body, who can watch the requirements of the service from a general point of view and see that no danger-spot is neglected; who can. make contracts on advantageous terms, provide for the inspection and testing of materials, and maintain a Depot, whence the needs of any station can be promptly met; who can employ the best experts to help them in the solution of fresh problems and advise them in regard to new inventions.

If, then, the Institution is, both in its objects and in its constitution, essen- tially national in character, it is clear that the contributions of the public can best be made to fulfil those objects if they are placed without restriction at the disposal of the central body. It is easy to understand how a benevolent person visiting some Life-boat station, and being struck with the bravery of the crew and the value of the services which they have rendered to humanity, may be moved to give or leave to the Institution a sum of money to be devoted to that particular station. It is the natural impulse of a generous heart. But we would point out to any such benefactor that the brave crew in whom he or she takes such an interest may very likely, when in pursuit of their lawful calling, have to be saved from death, not by their own Life-boat, but by a Life-boat from another station ; that the station known to the bene- factor may not be in need of any special gift or legacy while the other may; and that changes in maritime trade or in other matters which can only be fully gauged by a central body knowing all the facts of the case, may render un- necessary the maintenance of one station, while making it desirable to strengthen the other.

In this connexion it seems not out of place to draw attention to the curious fact that the Institution is sometimes embarrassed by a generous gift or legacy to which are attached conditions requiring it to be applied in a particular manner or in a particular locality; so that it is sometimes difficult to give effect to the wishes of the donor or testator. Yet, at the very same time, the Committee of Management may be in real and urgent need of funds for some important work in another direction. It would, for instancebe impossible to station a boat at some places unless a slipway were provided and, while a comparatively small sum may be given for the boat, and allotted by the testator to a particular place which would require the construction of a slipway to make it suitable for Life - boat purposes, the Committee of Management might find that the interests of the Life-boat service would be much.better met by placing a boat at some other spot where a costly slip- way would not be required.

It is no mere matter of sentiment, therefore, when the Committee of Management beg intending benefactors of the Institution to refrain from im- posing conditions which limit the appli- cation of their gifts or legacies. The request is practical, and proceeds from the earnest desire to make the best use of the funds placed at their disposal.

The Committee gratefully recognise the national spirit in which, as a whole, the work of the Branch Committees is carried out in every part of the United Kingdom, not only at station branches but also in inland towns; and they feel sure that a careful consideration of the national character of the Institution, as indicated in this article, will convince all true friends of the cause that the system of management and administra- tion which is laid down in the Charter, is the one best calculated to secure that character and to maintain the efficiency of a service of which we, as a nation, may well feel proud..