ON April 21st, in preparation for Life-boat Day meeting of in Greater London, Honorary Secretariesand other Organizers was held at the house of Lady Burnham, who not only entertained them to tea,but presided over the meeting, which numbered about a hundred Life-boat workers. Among them were LadyFlorence Pery, Vice-Chairman, and other members of the London Women's I Committee, Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt.,Chairman of the Committee of Manage- ment, and Mr. George F. Shoe, M.A., Secretary of the Institution. In opening the meeting, Lady Burnham said: " The Life-boat Service is at once the finest memorial of our heroic dead, and the most effective safeguard of life at sea. When we feel inclined to bemoan and belittle the decline in national hardihood, and power to endure, we ought always to refresh our spirit and restore our faith by reading the stories of the Life-boats which adorn the annals of this Institution, and which when the call ia made, and the necessity arises, occur again and again to the same accompaniment of indomitable courage, and unfailing humanity. It is sometimes said that this is the age of negatives, but these achievements are proof positive of the unchanging char- acteristics of our British seaside folk.

Grave troubles are ahead of us, but as long as our country can produce such men, we need have no fear for the future." Many weeks ahead, the Day had been fixed for Tuesday, 4th May. On the Monday morning it was definitely known that the negotiations in the coal industry had failed, and that the General Strike threatened by the Trade Union Congress would begin at midnight. All the stores for Life-boat Day had been distributed, the depots were ready, and it was decided on the Monday to carry out the appeal, as far as possible, as it had been arranged.

Piince Henry's Tour.

Some alterations in the plans were inevitable. It was found impossible to get horses to transport from the Store- yard at Poplar two Life-boats which it was intended to station in Brixton and Bermondsey, but the chief event of the day took place, and H.R.H. Prince Henry—following the example of the Prince of Wales in 1923, and the Duke and Duchess of York in 1924—visited a number of the depots, including Tra- falgar Square, and two of the depots in South London.

In four districts only out of over a hundred the local organizers decided that it would be better not to hold the Day, and in these four it is being held in Sep- tember instead. In several others the collectors were very reluctant to go out, and in a few, owing to the attitude of the public, it was found advisable to cut the appeal short; but in the great majority it was made, though everywhere with a greatly diminished number of collectors, many of them being unable to get to their depots at all. In spite of this, a number of districts collected nearly as much as last year, and two depots actually raised record sums.

In the West End and one or two other districts there were a number of men col- lectors wearing oilskins and kapok belts, and everywhere they were very successful.

A number of members of the Institution's staff helped in this way, and it deserves to be recorded that one of them left home at five in the morning, walked eight miles to Life-boat House, and was collecting the whole day in oilskins and belt, getting over £10.

Effect of the General Strike.

The strike undoubtedly lost the Insti- tution some thousands of pounds, but in the circumstances we have every right to be proud of the result. The Day actually raised over £2,600. When it is remembered that it was held on the first and most chaotic day of the strike, that practically all the regular transport had stopped, that the emergency trans- port had not yet been improvised, that all the streets into London were crowded with weary thousands tramping in, and that every one's mind was occupied by this sudden disaster, such a result is a great tribute to the London Women's Committee and all its workers, and to the hold which the Life-boat Service has on the interest and affection of the people of London. That interest is well shown in an anonymous letter which the Institution received after the strike. It was signed " A Working Woman," enclosed five shillings, and suggested that another Day should be held, or an appeal broadcast, in order that others might respond who, like herself, were " too worried" on 4th May..