THIS year's competition, tie fifth to be held, proved, on the whole, still more successful than last year's, when the competition was revived after an inter- val of three years.

Nine hundred and forty-seven schools in all have sent in essays. Of the six districts into which the country is divided for the competition, the North of England came first with 279 schools.

The South of England came next with 210; then the Midlands with 175; then London with 160. Only 65 schools took part in the competition in Scotland, 29 in Wales, and 29 in Ireland.

Where the number of competing schools was small, it does not, however, necessarily mean that the schools them- selves were not interested, for in a number of districts the Education Authorities did not find themselves able to give permission for the competition to be held. In the South of England this has been particularly unfortunate, as it haa prevented the school which not only won the Challenge Shield in the south last year, but sent in. the best essay in Great Britain, from competing this year.

Last year, it will be remembered, the competition was not held in Ireland.

This year, although permission was not obtained to hold it in the Irish Free State, it was revived in Northern Ireland, with, as will be seen, excellent results.

The Subject.

One change was made in the competi- tion, which has been well justified by the results. As before, all schools were supplied with notes for a short historical lecture on the Life-boat Service, and the teachers were asked to give a lesson from these notes immediately before the writing of the essays. But this year, for the first time, the subject was not announced in advance. It was sent in a sealed envelope which teachers were asked not to open until the lecture had been delivered * * One other alteration Wcia m.tde, wh ch affected only one distr'ct. At the request of the London Cou ity Cou.icil, each London s tuol was asked to send iu two ess lys. As a result, schools in Greater London wb ch we e not in the L.C.C. area -were entered in the South ol E.igland.

The subject set was " Why does our Country require a Life-boat Service ? " and we are particularly pleased that a much greater number of competitors this year really tried to write on the subject. Last year we were disap- pointed to find that the great majority were content simply to repeat the lecture.

Once more we have been struck by the correctness in spelling, in punctua- tion, and in English, by the clearness of the handwriting, and by the general neatness of the essays. For the rest the following passage from the report of the judge in the north of England gives an accurate summary of the essays for the whole country: " Many of the unsuccessful essays were very good indeed, but were not on the subject set for the test. They were really good essays on the ' History of the Origin and Development of the Life- boat Institution,' and displayed a re- markably full and clear knowledge of that subject. The personal opinions, freely expressed by the majority of the candidates, are highly creditable to them, and one feels that the Institution will have, in the future, many really staunch supporters of the movement.

Criticising the essays purely from the point of view of good composition, one would say that there is a marked ten- dency on the part of many children to write beyond their own vocabulary; they try to express themselves in ' fine' language (which is often obscure) and do not write naturally. For example, ' Wrecks are caused by their (i.e., rocks) obscuration '; ' Neptune's in- satiable maw '; ' When we reached the foaming deep.'" At the same time there were many good things in the essays, and it is not always the most correct phrase which is the most striking. More than one com- petitor coined really expressive words.

One wrote " She (England) would have lost many lives of the most eturdious men." Another produced a perfect j portmanteau word out of despair and (poverty, when speaking of fishermen who, if drowned, would leave their wives and children in " Despairity." Another competitor wrote of the Institution, as "a most excellent and amiable Society." Like Mr. Pickwick when confronted with the word con- formable, we do not know its precise meaning, but take it to be a favourable expression. If we were giving a special prize for choice of adjectives it would go to the competitor in the Midlands who wrote of " the masterful oceans," but the most striking phrase came from a competitor in the south-east of England, who wrote: "To think of any one being smashed to pieces on rocks, or drowned, makes one shudder. So many shudders, I expect, helped to build up this famous Institution." After*War Depression.

More than one essay, in discussing the origin of the Institution, rather bitterly reflects the distress and disillusionment of these post-war years, unconsciously recalling the fact that the Institution was founded at a time when, as now, the country was still suffering from the long strain of war. One essay begins " ' Hurrah! Hurrah! for the Life-boat,' is what some Britishers should shout, instead of ' Hurrah ! Huirah ! for the dole.' " Another writes : "It was a good thing for us Life-boats were invented or we should be in a worse corner than ever " ; and another, still more curiously and bitterly, " The Life- boat Institution was started to keep men from loafing in the streets." These competitors clearly were writing with their thoughts on the streets but- side. And can there perhaps be a reminiscence of the Thames floods in this account (from a London essay) of how Sir William Hillary occupied him- self, " Sir William Hillary lived in the Isle of Man and spent most of his time rowing about in a Life-boat in the City of Douglas " ? One competitor touched on the ques- tion of State control. He does not believe in it. He expressed with great vigour that feeling of being tyrannized over which any State control, even for his good, awakens in the Englishman.

" When a thing is taken over by the Government the interest seems to I go out of it. I suppose it is the ! Englishman's nature which revolts i against the thought of being the under- dog." Wonderful Life-boats.

Several attempted to describe the ! construction of a Life-boat, and some I of these descriptions are as unexpected as the curious models which inventors occasionally send the Institution. One said of it that it " has a round shape, and j goes of its own accord." Another wisely j avoided the difficulty of precise descrip- ] tion and was content to say that " the Life-boats of to-day have all the modern conveniences," but none equalled and none could hope to equal, in convey- ing quite simply the idea of something really marvellous in boat-building, the competitor (not, be it noted from Ireland, but from the matter-of-fact Midlands) who wrote: " The Life-boat is so wonderfully constructed that it can carry more than it can hold." A number of competitors put the claims of the Institution higher even than we ourselves would dare to put them.

To have rescued over 60,000 lives is a great record, but we should not go the length of saying: " The greatest thing we need the Life-boat Service for is to save lives, if it did not people would soon get scarce." Nor should we claim that, fine as was the war record of the Service, it entitled us to say, " While the Great War was on this Institution sent Life- boats out to help us, and we won the war more easily than we expected." Several essayists, in their anxiety to show the need of Life-boats, were per- haps a thought too severe on both the Navy and the Mercantile Marine. Thus, a Scottish boy writes : " Another reason is that we have a large Navy, and some captains who do not know much about the navigation are as likely as not to run up against some of the dangerous rocks which were formerly mentioned." Another competitor, while admitting that the Navy is " very large and clever," says that we must have Life-boats "to keep a watch over it," while another, when dwelling on the " characteristic daring " of our sailors, agrees with the first that " more often than not they tun their ships on to the rocks." Yet another gives us the reason for this reck- lessness : " Our seamen are cheerful, happy and brave, for they know nothing about things going to happen to them in the future." Two competitors have supplied us with phrases which we advise all mem- bers of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild to learn and to have ready when they are collecting. Your first request should be in these words : " For future prosperity and happiness all people ought to make a small subscription to the Institution." And if you fail with the gentle per- suasiveness of that phrase, why then you must try something more severe and say, in the words of one of the London essayists, " People who despise giving money to the R.N.L.I. will quite suit the saving,' You can't get blood out of a stone.' " More than one was moved to a quaint gravity by the thought f death.

" Therefore accidents on the sea must happen," wrote one, " and they are attended with loss of life. That of course means death." And another, " Many things in this world can, if lost, be re- placed, but life can never be replaced by man." This year brought us only one piece of original verse, from a girl of thirteen in a Welsh school : Splendid are the Lifeboat men, Their chivalry is like a gem That shines o'er England's s?as And doth the nation please.

An Irish Victory.

It has not been easy to decide which was the best essay for the whole of the British Isles. In finally, selecting the essay sent in by Gerald Lyttle, of Main Street Boys' P.E, School, Bangor, Co.

Down, Ireland, which won the Ch'.llenge Shield for Ireland and Wales in the first year of the Competition, we have done so because, although there were other essays which gave more reasons in reply to our question, he expressed himself -with greater coherence and freedom.

Others said more, but his was the best essay.

Our congratulations to him and to his school. He is helping to establish a remarkable Irish ascendency in Life- boat Essay writing, for in three out of j the five competitions so far held Ire- land has sent in the best essay foi the • whole country, in 1919, 1920, and now again in 1925. As the competition was not held in Ireland last year she has beaten England, Scotland and Wales three times out of four, and this year she has done it in spite of the fact | that only part of the country was competing.

In each district, it is interesting to note, the Challenge Shield has been won ) by a school which has not previously held it. Another interesting feature of the -competition is the even balance between girls and boys. 1924 waa very definitely a girls' year. Five out of the six Challenge Shields were won by girls' schools, and the best essay in the British Isles was the work of a girl. This year the girls have done much better than the boys in the south of England and Scotland, in each of which districts they hold seven out of the first ten places, and in the north of England, where the first three on the list are girls. In the Midlands, on the other hand, the boys have swept the board, holding the first nine places. The final result, however, is that the sixty principal prizes are equally divided between girls and boys.

The 150 smaller prizes are divided in the proportion of seventy to girls and I eighty to boys, and the six Challenge Shields are equally divided between them. The best essay in the British Isles, however, comes from a boy. Thus, in a very even year, the boys just have it.

Help of the Teachers.

In conclusion, the Institution would cordially thank the Education Authori- ties which gave their permission for the competition to be held, and in a number of cases distributed the particulars of it to the schools, and the teachers, to whose very kind help the success of the competition is, of course, chiefly due.

The real and intelligent knowledge of the Life-boat Service, which practically all : the essays showed, is evidence of their ' interest and care.

The Institution hopes to have the help both of Education Authorities and ; teachers in carrying out the competition again in 1926, and particulars of it will I be sent to schools either in the autumn.

of this year, or at the beginning of the new year.

Below will be found the list of success- ful competitors, in order of merit, and the best essay for the British Isles. The first ten in each district will receive copies of the history of the Life-boat Service, " Britain's Life-boats," by Major A. J. Dawson; and the remain- ing twenty-five, copies of the smaller book, "The Life-boat and its Work," by Sir John Lamb. The wr'ter of the best essay in the British Isles will re- ceive a copy of the Edit'on de Luxe of " Britain's Life-boats " signed by the Prince of Wales.LONDON DISTRICT (COUNTY COUNCIL AREA).

Kame.

: when g.ven.

Schaol.

W. Nea 15 Fulham Central School for Boys, Childerley Street, S.W.6.

Emily Amelia Tracey Credon Boad Girls' School, Rotherhitho New Road, S.E. 16.

Morris Solomons Myrdle Street L.C.C. Boys' School, E. 1.

A. H. Vallance i The Stanley L.C.C. Central Boys'School, Camden Street, N.W. 1.

Henry John Ware . . .11 Teesdale Street Boys' School, Bethnal Green, P.. 2.

Kathleen Hodges. . . . 13$ Satter's Hill Girls' School, West Norwood, S.E. 27.

Doreen Smith 12} i Salter's Hill Girls' School, West Norwood, S.E. 27.

F. Bridgen 14 I The " Earlsfield " School (Boys' Dept.), Tranmere Road, S.W. 18.

Jessie Louisa Parker. . . 13 St. Jude's Girls'School, Mildmay Park, N. 1.

Irene Smith H L.C.C. School (G), Hackford Road, Kennington, S.W. 9.

. i _____ A. Bootman Myrdle Street L.C.C. (B) School, E. 1.

Nellie Hooper : ... Bell Street Girls' School, Bell Street, Edgware Road, Marylebone, N.W. 1.

Florence Jones . . . . i 13J Carlton" Road Girls' School, Kentish Town, N.W. 5.

A. Wallace I 12 The " Forster " Boys' School, Hornsey Road, Holloway, N.7.

MaisieWilkes i 13 Carlton Road Girls'School, Kentish Town, N.W. 5.

G. Hogben ! ... Broomsleigh Street School, West Hampstead, N.W. 6.

Elsie Gertrude Martin . .1 ... Croyland Road Girls' School, Croyland Road, Lower Edmonton, N. 9.

E. Lee 13 The "Earlsfield" School (Boys' Dept.), Tranmere I Road, S.W. 18.

Ronald Beacham Kflmorie Road Boys' School, West Lewisham, S.E. 23.

Frank Mummery Kilmorie Road Boys'School, West Lewisham, S.E. 23.

H. Graham 15 j Fulham Central School for Boys, Childerley Street, i S.W. 6.

Ada Croome 13 Gainsborough Road Girls' School, Hackney Wick, E. 9.

Bernard Avery .... 10 J Essendine Road Boys' School, Maida Hill, W. 9.

.). Alldridge 11 Essendine Road Boys' School, Maida Hill, W. 9.

G. A. Brine 11 Holy Trinity Boys'School, Upper Tooting, S.W. 17.

G. Hughes 13 Holy Trinity Boys'School, Upper Tooting, S.W. 17.

Winifred P. Austin ... 13J Glyn Road L.C.C. Girls' School, E. 5.

Lilian B. Gray .... 12| Glyn Road L.C.C. Girls' School, E. 5.

Hilda Gates Creek Road School, Deptford.

Doris Young Mansfield Road Girls'School, Gospel Oak- William Gage . . . . | ... i Christ Church School Boys' Dept., Albany Street, | London, N.W. 1.

Leonard Lane .... 13 Mowlem Street School, Cambridge Heath, London, E. 2.

Louisa Humm St. Gabriel's (M.) School, Morris Road, Bromley-by - | Bow, E. 14.

Victor Pater I Senior Street School, Paddington, W. 2.

Edith Stone 11 { Holy Trinity School, Dalston, E. 8.

Name, Elbe! Atkinson ....

Annie Pickup ....

Bertha Bowell .... Age when given.

13 13 13 13J 13 11 13 14 School.

Council School, Worsthorne, near Burnley, Lanes.

Western Council School, Stacksteads, Bacup, Lanes.

Slaley Council School, Riding Mill-on-Tyne, Northumber- land.

Demesne Road School, Douglas, Isle ol Man.

Castleton Council School, North Yorks.

Central Girls' School, Egremont, Cumberland.

Western Council Boys' School, Penman Street, North Shields.

Over St. John's School, Winsford, Cheshire.

Dauebridge C.E. School, Northwich, Cheshire.

Walton C.E. Girls' School, Liverpool. John G. Williamson .

Mary Courtney .... , Thomas Edward Wainwright Annie Button ....

j Frances Harrison 12 13 9 13 13 i'i 13 13 13 13 13 13 11 14 10 13 i'ii Haydock C.E. School, Haydock, Lanes.

St. Stephen's School, Burnley.

Junior Dept. Western School, North Shields.

St. Bridgets, Limekiln Lane, Liverpool.

St. Anne's School (Girls'), Lancaster.

Council School (Girls' Dept.), Station Road, Tadcaster.

St. Francis Xavier R.C. School, Langsdale Street, Everton, Liverpool, Council School, Boys' Dept., Rossington, Doncaster.

Balfour Road Boys' Council School, Buncora.

St. Anne's School (Girls'), Ruskin Avenue, Rock Ferry, Birkenhead.

Montreal Girls' School, Cleator Moor, Cumberland.

St. Alban's R.C. School, Boundary Street, Liverpool.

St. Paul's School, Birkenhead.

Loraine Street Council School, Everton, Liverpool.

Hawthorne Road Council School, Bootle.

Lady Feversham's C.E. Girls' School, Helmsley, Yorks.

Council Girls' School, Nantwich.

Oakworth Oldfield Council School, near Keighley, Yorks.

St. Peter's C.E. School, Union Street, Oldham.

Star of the Sea School, Seaforth.

Boales Street Council School, Liverpool.

AH Saints' Boys' School, Hoole, Cheshire.

St. Werburgh's Girls' School, Austin Street, Birkenhead.

Park Council Boys' School, Norwich Street, Sheffield.

Cadishead Council School, near Manchester.

MIDLANDS. j Zena Ellwood George Malcolm ....

James Jamieson ....

Hilda Padder ....

Marion Gawthroup .

1 Frederick Archer Bernard Wilson ....

Thomas Millinger Eileen Cronin ....

Florence Tembey. Catherine Atherton . Kathleen Ware ....

Margaret Stephens .

Winifred Wilkinson .

Esther Mary Platt . . .

Edna Davies Margaret Orrell ....

Rodney A. Kelly Eileen Cringle ....

Charles Padley ....

Margaret Wearmouth Age Name. when i given. School. W Griffiths 13 13 13 14 ii 11 Grove Senior School, Hanley, Staffs.

Forster Street Boys' School, Tunstall.

Duffield Endowed School, Derbyshire.

Ingoldmells Council School, nr. Skegness.

Wick Road Boys' School, Brislington, Bristol.

Front Street Council School, Arnold, Notts.

Bolt Street Boys' Council School, Newport, Monmouth- shire.

St. Barnabas' Boys' School, City Road, Bristol, Barcroft Street Boys' School, Cleethorpes, Grimsby.

Stapleton. School, Bristol. Frank Saunders ....

Dennis Phillips ....

Percy Smith Leonard Baker ....

William Godfrey ....

William James . . .

Stanley Copestake C. Dorey Thomas Moore ....

David L. Steed ....

Alice E. Brown . . 14 13 Campbell Square Council School (Bovs'), Northampton.

Bilston Central Boys' School, Bilston, South Staffs.

Victoria Park Girls' School, St. John's Lane, Bedminster, Bristol. MIDLANDS— continued.

[ Hame. •« g Age hen ven. School. i 12 Edenham School, Kest 13 Church of England Sch 12 ; Hartley C.E. Mixed Scl 14 1 Maisemore C.E. School 13 1 Florence Council Girls' 13 Burmington C.E. Schoc 1 Stour.

13 Costock Church of Eng borough, Notts.

Church of England Sch 13 j The Council School, Til .. : Church Boys' School, IV 14 ; Mina Road Boys' Scho( South Cerney C.E. Schc 12 Council School, Awsvroi ' Cross Street Council Trent.

13 St. Paul's School, Moui .. i St. Matthew's Central £ 12 ; Nelson Girls' School, G i Easton Girls' School, A 12 Churchtown School, Da Gedney Drove End Co bech.

Wesleyan School, Goxh 14 ' Parson Street School, S( SOUTH OF ENGLAND. 3ven.

ool, Studley, Warwickshire, iool, Worcester.

Maisemore, Gloucestershire.

School, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent.

1, Burmington, nr. Shipston-on- and School, Costock, nr. Lough- ool, Hucknall, Notts, ton Road, Birmingham, [elton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

)I, Mina Road, Bristol.

)ol, nr. Cirencester, Gloucester, -th, Notts. ; Senior School, Stoke - on - it Pleasant, Stoke-on-Trent. i chool, Rugby. i reat Yarmouth. j U Hallows' Road, Bristol, rley Dale, Matlock. • ancil School, Long Button, Wis- II, Lincolnshire, aiior Dept., Bedminster, Bristol. Ernest C. Chatterley . . .

Florence Wale .

Cyril Gough Ruth James Madge Saunders ....

1 Willie Kirkman ....

Edna Goodall Frederick Hewlett . . . ! Cecil P. Hewitt ....

Thomas Marshall ....

Dorothy V. Richens .

Elsie Hunt . . ' Alice M. Chilton ....

Ernest Parament Violet Jefferies ....

Cyril Geesou ..... Marjorie Tribe ....

Olive Goodwin ....

Edward Pratteti . : A Same. w & hge ien ren. School. : Joan Stephen ....

Christabel Holloway George F. Beesley "...

Linda Pricker Kathleen Bajrow ...['.

George Dale . 1 3 Stockbury C.E. School, Sittingbourne, Kent. ' ) 2 Chenies Council School, Rickmansworth, Herts.

North Street Council School, Barking, Essex.

The " Circus " C.E. Girls' School, Surrey Street, Ports- mouth.

3 I Shalford Council School, Shalford, nr. Guildford, Surrey.

3 New Road Boys' School, Portsmouth.

3 Church Street Girls' School, Church Street, Portsmouth.

The Ingram Girls' School, Thornton Heath, Surrey.

3 Farncombe Boys' C.E. School, George Road, Farn- combe, Surrey.

' Weald Council M. School, nr. Sevenoaks, Kent. Jessie Kemp ;' 1 Nora Trevett Percy Wye . . .1 Betty Gooclhew . . . . . R. Futcher Francis Avenue Council School (Boys), Portsmouth.

4 Portsea Free School, Portsmouth.

.. : Baling Road Council School, Brentford, Middlesex.

. i C.E. Girls' School, Liskeard, Cornwall.

I St. John's R.C. School, Banbury, Oxon.

4 Slindon Church of England School, Arundel, Sussex.

3 Stamshaw Girls' School, North End Avenue, Ports- mouth.

2J Council School (Mixed), Princes Risborough, Bucks.

3 Cuddington School, Aylesbury, Bucks.

4 | St. Luke's Boys' School, Southsea.

5 Clarence Square Council School, Gosport, Hants.

; Girls' School, Waltham Abbey, Essex.

" Joseph Barrett " Boys' School, Walthamstow, E. 17.

High Street Boys' School, Plymouth. Lily Airs 1 Richard Dumper . . • • Beryl James Elsie Mobbs Margaret I. Herrington . . 1 Miriam Fielding .... 1 Cyril G. Stall-wood . . .1 Leslie Tomes . 1 John Durrant . 1 Charles Williams . . . I Eileen Bennett Arthur Reaidon George Stansbury , , , — -r-, , — , . _ ,..,., .... ,_.. .. •», — .,,-. . 148 THE LIFEBOAT. [NOVEMBER, 1925. SOUTH OF ENGLAND— continued. Age Name •when School. g.ven. Georgina Wafkins 13 Dudden Hill Girls' School, Willesden Green, N.W. 10. Kobert H. Johnson . 14 Cowley Boys' School, Cowley, Oxford. ... Gladys Blake .... Forest Road Girls' School, Walthamstow, ~R. 1. Dorothy Butlin .... Camps bourne Girls' School, Nightingale Lane, Hornsey, N. 8. Esther Williams .... 13 Alexandra Girls' School, Honnslow. Eric 0. Edwards Maurice Oaten .... St. Mary and St. Peter's School (Boys), Teddington.

Trull C.E. School, Taunton, Som. Kathleen Staveley . Wimborne Road Girls' School, Portsmouth. Dorothy Weaver 12 Chew Stoke C.E. School, nr. Bristol. Margaret Perry .... ... St. Benedict's School, Stratton-on-the-Fosse, ar. Bath. Cyril F. Dilnot .... 12 Church of England (Boys') School, Birchingtorv, Kent. SCOTLAND. Name. Ago when School. 1 given. Marion Hunter .... 13 Bonnington Road Public School, Leith, near Edin- burgh. James K. Jamieson . 14 Ollaberry Public School, OUaberry, Northmavine, Shet- land, N.B. David Bell North Fort Street Public School, Leith, near Edinburgh. Ella W. Russell .... Higher Grade School, Chryston, near Glasgow. Kathleen Duffln .... 14 St. Paul's R.C. School, East Calder, Midlothian. Jeannie Toye .... 13 Longriggend B.C. School, Lanarkshire. Georgina Turnbull . St. John's B.C. School, Portobello, Edinburgh. Sarah Young . . All Saints' School, Glen Street, Edinburgh. Alexander Murray 13 Forglen Public School, By Turriff, Aberdeenshire. Molly Stewart .... 11 Almondbank Pulbic School, Perth. Jessie Laing . 14 Muirland School, By Denny, Stirlingshire. Ella White 13 Merry Street School, Motherwell, Lanarkshire. Andrew Duncan . Lamington Public School, Lamington, Lanarkshire. Hugh Morrison . is Thrumster Public School, Wick, Caithness-shire. Donald Macleod . Scarista Public School, Leverburgh, N.B. John Jenkins 12 Hallside Public School, Hallside, By Glasgow. William Mallinson . 14 Public School, Ardersier, Inverness-shire. Bachael Josephthall 14 Sciennes Central School, Sciennes Road, Edinburgh. William Blair . . . 11 The Academy, Montrose, N.B. Ellen Devidge 13 Public School, Ardersier, Inverness-shire. John C. Ratter . 14 Brae Public School, Shetland. William McLeod . Bayble Public School, Stornoway. Evelyn Mitchell . 13 St. David's School, Dalkeith, Midlothian, Robert Marshall . 12 Tulliallan Public School, Kincardine, Fife. Kobert Smith 14 King's Road Public School, Rosyth, Fifeshire. Stewart Stout Fair Isle Public School, Shetland. Alastair McKay . 12 Strathconon Public School, Muir of Ord. Elizabeth Russell 12 Scietines Central School, Edinburgh. John Thomson . 13 Niddrie Public School, Portobello, Edinburgh. Cornelius Douglas Greenfield Public School, Burnbank, Lanarkshire. Andrew Thomson Higher Grade School, Chryston, nr. Glasgow. ii Yetholm Public School, By Kelso, Roxburghshire. Nora Laidler ..... Kftlso Public School, Kelso, Roxburghshire. Ella Browti . . 11 Clunie Public School, BlairgowrJG, Scotland. Marion MoLaughlan Greenfield Public School, Lanarkshire. IRELAND AND WALES. Name. Age when given. School. "Gerald Lyttle ....

C Tonge 16 13 13 13 12 Main Street Boys' P. E. School, Bangor, co. Down, Ireland.

Llanf aes Council School, Brecon, South Wales.

McQuiston Public Elementary School, Donegall Pass, Belfast, Ireland.

Leckin Public Elementary School, Gortin, Co. Tyrone.

McQuiston Institute Public Elementary School, Castle- reagh Road, Belfast.

Vaynor Non-Provided School, Pontsticill, near Merthyr Tydfil.

Belmont Girls' Public Elementary School, Strandtown, Belfast.

Glenmornan Public Elementary School, Strabane, Co.

Tyrone.

Frongoch Girls' Council School, Denbigh, North Wales.

Llanllwchaiarn C.E. School, Newtown, Montgomery- shire. Joseph Harper ....

Francis Morris .... Celestie Alta Davies . .

Lily Wilkinson ....

Mary O'Connor ....

Emma Warren ....

John F, Thomas .... John Champion ....

Samuel Duddy ....

Edith Fowles ....

Joseph Cocking ....

Winnie Murdoch ....

Samuel Hunter ....

Sadie McKee Robert Adams ....

Thomas Graham .... 14 13i 13 iat 14 12 12 13 13 15 12 13 14 13 12 13 13 Allensbank School, Cardiff.

Lower Cumber Public Elementary School, Goshaden, Londonderry.

Girls' National School, Haverfordwest.

Corporation Road Boys' School, Newport, Monmouth- shire.

St. Luke's Public Elementary School, Belfast.

Bloomfield Public Elementary School, East Bread Street, Connswater, Belfast.

Duncairn Girls' Public Elementary School, New Lodge Road, Belfast.

Palentine Public Elementary School, Doagh, Co. Antrim.

Annahilt Public Elementary School, Hillsboro'. Co.

Down.

Highlands Public Elementary School, Limavady, Co.

Londonderry.

Laurelvale Public Elementary School, Crumlin, Co.

Antrim.

Drumaghlis School, Crossgrar, Co. Down.

Antrim Road School, Belfast.

Brookfield School, Moira, Co. Down.

Prendergast Boys' Council School, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.

Jones Memorial School, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland.

Tynan Public Elementary School, Tynan, Co. Armagh, Ulster.

Penderyn Council School, near Aberdare, Breconshire.

St. Mary's School, Lea Eoad, Wrexham.

National N. P. School, Neyland, Pembrokeshire.

St. Luke's Public Elementary School, Belfast.

Talybont-on-Usk School, Talybont-on-Usk, Breconshire.

Roath Park School, Cardiff.

Lansdowne Road Council School, Boys' Dept., Cardiff.

Aughagash Public Elementary School, Glenarm, Co.

Antrim. Edmund C. Arnold . . .

Samuel 3. Graham .

Benjamin Hoey ....

Kathleen E. Green . . .

Grenville Harries Evelyn Widdis ....

Robert Murray ....

Sarah A, Owen ....

Jessie Delaney .... Moses McMurray John Prichard ....

Maurice Edwards George W. Lister * The best essay in Great Britain and Ireland.

THE BEST ESSAY IN THE COMPETITION.

By GEBAI/D LYTTLE, of Main Street Boys' P.E. institution known as the Royal National School, Bangor, Co. Down, Ireland. Life-boat Institution. Hundreds of thousands WWV T fW 5 OTTO. mTTOTRV RWGTTTRF of P60?16 subscribe to this worthy object, but WHY DOES , OUR .COUNTRY REQUIRE on! a gmall percentage stops to think of the A LIFE-BOAT SERVICE ? heroic work £one by tae Ufo.boats or to ask EACH year, in almost every town of the themselves why our country requires a life- British Isles, a flag day is held in aid of an boat service at all. A. life-boat service is extremely useful to a maritime country and to Great Britain, with 0,000* miles of sea-coast, it is not only useful but indispensable. The reason why this is so, is the enormous amount of shipping which is constantly about our coasts, Being the chief manufacturing and commer- cial nation in the world, Britain requires an immense number of ships in order to trade with other countries. In addition to this, there is a huge number of smaller vessels employed in coastal trade.

Again, the great trading nations of Europe are only separated from Britain by the North Sea, while America is only separated from us by the Atlantic, therefore the sea-trade between the principal commercial nations of Europe and the West must pass, or call at our shores.

These facts mean that thousands of ships, in a year, are within sight of our land. With such "an immense amount of shipping round our coasts, it is well nigh impossible for a year to pass free from wrecks.

It is in this connection that our country requires that efficient service which works so modestly and quietly.

Since the institution was founded in 1824, over 60,000 lives have been saved. At first * This should be 5,000 miles.

reading, this appears to be merely a humane work, but if one thinks on it for a moment, it shines out in a new light. Those 60,000 livea saved from death are really 60,000 lives saved to the gain of the world, for almost all of them by continuing in life's work, benefit the world in one way or another. So, we see now, that the work is not only humane but extremely beneficial to mankind.

Though the institution is British, nationality does not enter into account when a wreck is sighted. Whether it be foreign or native, friend or foe, the life-boat speeds on its errand of mercy, manned by its heroic crew of courageous British seamen.

To carry out this work, the institution main- tains 260* Life-boats, comprising motor-, steam- and sailing-boats. These boats, together with all necessary equipment, are stationed right round our coasts so that at least one " messenger of mercy" may be within helping distance of any vessel perishing near to land.

So, with the work of this great institution in mind, the public should give it their utmost support, and in doing so should feel immensely honoured that, in this way, they are helping one of the most humane, heroic and beneficial works ever carried on by man.

• Now 218..