THE following letter was received last October from Ashington, the mining village in Northumberland. The Cresswell Lifeboat Station IB not far away, and most of the Cresswell Crew have at one time or another worked in theAshington mines. The letter shows such a clear and well-informed interest in the developments of the Service that we think that many Life-boat workers and subscribers will be interested to read it, so we publish it in full,replying at the end of the letter to two or three of the points which Mr. Pratt raises, as other people may have been struck by the same things when visiting Life-boat Stations: " DEAR SIR, " Having recently had the pleasure of having a close look at two of the Institutes' boats I feel it my duty to let you know my opinion of the same and the progress that has been made in their different construction.

" The first boat I wish to speak of is the Blyth boat, which in my opinion is a real fine vessel, housed in an up-to- date boat-house with all the latest labour-saving appliances such as motor- winch for hauling her back up the slip- way. Both the boat and boat-house are a credit to the crew and the Institution, and I would like to see the time when all boats, etc., could be made as up-to-date.

Providing the crew were on the spot, this boat can be safely launched in one minute or so and be on her perilous journey.

" The next boat I wish to speak of is the Newbiggin boat, which is an old boat and not as up-to-date, nor yet is the boat-house as up-to-date as possible, but it takes time and donations for the Institution to have everything up-to- date. (See Note 1.) " I noticed there was some real hard work to be done before the Newbiggin boat was got into the water, and some harder work before they got her back into the boat-house, as it has all to be done by manual labour, but it is impos- sible for the Newbiggin boat to be launched as sharp as the Blyth boat because of coastal conditions; the Blyth boat is launched in a harbour in smooth water, and the Newbiggin boat has to be dragged on a heavy carriage to the sea and perhaps meet heavy seas as soon as she touches the water.

It would be a good invention if a motor could be safely placed on such carriages to dispense with the dangerous and hard work that has to be done to enable the boat to be launched. (See Note 2.) " I think it is possible, but it would take time and plenty of donations, and many a time I pass the Institution's boat-houses and they are always locked up, and no one can see the Life- boat many a holiday time. I have seen hundreds of people in the vicinity of the Life-boat house, and I think if it was opened on such occasions it would likely swell the contents of your donation, boxes, and that is what is needed to enable you to carry the work on, so why do local secretaries keep the boat-houses locked up so much, •when hundreds of people have nevei seen a Life-boat during their lives Secretaries and all concerned should try.all methods to get donations. (See Note 3.) " Well, sir, I hope I am not taking up your valuable time in vain, but as an interested person in Life-boat work, although I am just a working man, I would like to see some push put in to get funds to enable you to reach your goal.—J remain, " Yours truly, " JOHN C. PRATT." Editor's Note.

1. The Newbiggin Boat, which is a Pulling and Sailing Life-boat of the Self-Eighting type, and was built in 1906, is, of course, of not such a modern, type as the Motor Life-boat at Blyth, built in 1921. She is, however, quite fit for service, and should in the ordinary course not be withdrawn from active service until 1931.

2. The launching difficulties at New- biggin are great. At some similar stations the Institution is making use of Motor Caterpillar Tractors, but these, while they work well over sand, are not suitable for shingle and soft mud. The Institution is now having experiments made with a new design of Tractoi which, it is hoped, will be able to launch Life-boats off all types of flat beach— those beaches, that is to say, where the construction of a slipway, such as there is at Blyth, down which the boat can be launched into sufficiently deep water at any state of the tide, is impossible or enormously costly.

3. The Institution is proposing to open to the public a great many more of its Boat-houses. This will involve some expense, but we feel sure that the public will more than make this up to the Institution by its contributions at the Boat-houses, The chief diffi- culty is to find responsible and efficient caretakers. Mr. Pratt, in a second letter, writing as one who " spends many an hour on duty for the St.

John's Ambulance and is pleased to do it," suggests that there should be no expense to the Institution, but that Crew and Helpers should voluntarily share the duty of keeping the Boat- house open. On Life-boat Days and in other "ways, many of our Crews often give us most generous help, but there is a practical difficulty in the way of Mr. Pratt's proposal for relays of voluntary caretakers. It is that Life- boatmen and helpers are at work, many of them, in fact, at sea fishing.

They leave their work to man and launch the Life-boat, but it would not be possible to ask them to leave it in order to keep the Boat-house open.

The Institution is, however, fully alive to the great power of appeal which Life-boat Houses possess, and for many months past careful inquiry has been proceeding as to which Boat-houses could and should be kept open at any rate during the summer months, and, further, how best to secure, with the help of the Hon. Secretary concerned, a steady, responsible caretaker, with some knowledge of the Life-boat Service, who will take a pride in showing the Boat and explaining its characteristic features, and enlisting the interest and support of visitors.

This is one of those important matters in which, the interest and active co- operation of the Honorary Secretary is of paramount importance, and, although it involves yet another claim on their generous services, the Committee of Management are confident that they will not appeal to them for this help in vain..