LAST year the Prince of Wales, as President of the Institution, issued a special appeal through the Press, for a generous response. This year he took a still more intimate part in the Day by visiting a number of depots, and personally thanking the collectors. He spent the greater part of the afternoon going round, accompanied by Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., Chairman of the Committee of Management and Mr. George F.

Shee, M.A., Secretary of the Institution.

He visited the depots at several of the West End hotels, in Trafalgar Square, and at the Mansion House. He then crossed the Thames and visited depots in Bermondsey, SoutKwaik and Brixton, at all of which Life-boats were stationed. At both Southwark and Brixton he had tea with the Mayor and Mayoress, who had personally organised the Day in their own boroughs. At a number of the depots the Prince bought flags until, as he said, he began to feel like a Christmas tree.

Help of Mayors and Mayoresses.

In the City the Lady Mayoress, who is a member of the Central London Women's Committee of the Ladies' Life-boat Guild, in Westminster, the Mayor and Mayoress (who is also a member of the Women's Committee) and in the majority of the other boroughs, the Mayor or Mayoress—and in some cases both—also gave their personal help in organising the appeal.

The Day took place on the 27th March, the day before the Annual Meeting. This early date was chosen as an experiment, in order to avoid the competition of the many street-appeals which are made from the beginning of May onwards. It was an experiment about the success of which many of those concerned had serious misgivings, and these misgivings have been justified by the result. The weather was what was to be expected in March, cold, with heavy rain during the afternoon. The weather seriously affected the generous efforts of the Life-boat workers who, in spite of it, carried out the appeal, and the fixing of the Day for such an early date undoubtedly prevented many from - collecting who would otherwise have done so. As a result of this choice of an early date, and of the bad weather experienced, the amount collected— £3,995—is £444 less than last year.

The Spirit of the Day.

The spirit in which, in spite of the bad weather, the appeal was made and responded to by the public is shown by the fact that only one case was reported of anyone being annoyed by it, and in that case the protester—a well-dressed woman—crossed the road in order to tell a collector that " flag sellers were a nuisance." Another person also expressed indignation—a newspaper seller in Leicester Square— but he was indignant because he had not been asked to give. i There are, in fact, none so poor that ! they are not ready to give. Among the contributions were pennies from an old man who was scavenging in Covent Garden, and an old woman who was selling matches, while a sailor gave a collector " his last lucky farthing." Another old man, who put in half a crown, told the collector that he had passed a dozen others who had not asked I him because '' he supposed he looked j too poor." Even the bad weather had its humour, ! and one man who put his contribution into the Life-boat collecting box in the middle of a heavy fall of rain, said " If this weather goes on I shall ask for one." The Oxford and Cambridge Boat-race took place on the following Saturday, j No doubt this was why one eager collector, an Irish-woman, began by saying, " Will you help the boat-race ? " and hurriedly corrected this to " I mean, will you buy a Life-boat ? ".