IN The, Lifeboat for last February an account was given of the help received from cinemas during the display of two films, " Down to the Sea in Ships " and " Women Who Give," which had Life-boat interest. These films were released in the autumn of 1924, and up to February last sixty-one cinemas, when showing them, made collections for the Life-boat Service, amounting to over £776. Since February a number of additional contributions have been received.

Another, and in this case regular, way in which the Service receives the help both of theatres and cinemas is from the annual collection organized in the places of amusement in Manchester and Salford. It was held this year on 18th and 19th September. Out of 149 places of amusement which were approached, 81 gave their consent to the appeal; 70 Life-boat films were shown; and 357 people took part in the work of collecting. In a few cases the collecting was done inside the theatres, but in the great majority it was in the vestibules.

As showing the generous way in which the theatres gave their help it may bean: mentioned that the Manchester Hippodrome and but this substantial increase, not being able to allow the appeal on the 18th and 19th, gave permission for collections during the whole of the following week.

The total collections amounted to the record sum of £349 lls. Qd., giving an average of £4 6s. 3|d. for each house.

The largest collection was £41 15s.; this being the collection during the week at the Hippodrome. The largest for the two days was £17 12s. The smallest was 3s. Id.

In 1922 the collection amounted to £308, and in 1923 to £277. With the constant requests made to them for collections, managers of places of amusement not unnaturally hesitate to give permission for fear of annoying their patrons, give.

Manchester and Salford in the year following the very special Centenary efforts, by which an extra fund of £10,000 was raised, shows that Life-boat organizers asking for the help of theatres, may fairly urge on them that they are being asked on behalf of a cause to which their audiences will be very ready to give.