JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  24,  1901. 
80 
Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institntioo. 
Annual  General  Meeting. 
The  annual  general  meeting  of  this  most  admirable  charity  was  held 
on’Tuesday  afternoon  at  Simpson’s,  Strand,  under  the  presidency  of 
Mr.  Harry  J.  Yeitch.  The  attendance  was  fairly  large,  and  amongst 
those  present  were  Dr.  Maxwell  T.  Masters,  and  Messrs.  P.  C.  M.  Veitch, 
W.  Poupart,  J.  Fraser,  G.  Wythes,  J.  Denning,  J.  Hudson,  G.  Monro, 
H.  J.  Cutbush,  T.  Swift,  A.  W.  Sutton,  Owen  Thomas,  R.  Dean,  H.  J 
Cox,  and  W.  H.  White. 
Before  the  formal  business  commenced  Mr.  Yeitch  made  an  allusion 
to  the  serious  illness  of  her  Majesty  the  Queen,  who  had  been  a  Patron 
of  the  Institution  since  1851,  and  proposed  that  a  telegram  to  H.R.H. 
the  Prince  of  Wales  be  sent.  There  was,  of  course,  no  dissent  from 
this,  and  the  following  message  was  despatched  : — - 
To  H.R.H.  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
Osborne  House. 
ta^,The]  subscribers  of  the  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution  now 
assembled  for  the  election  of  pensioners,  desire  to  express  their  deepest 
sympathy  with  their  President,  H.R.H.  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  every 
member  of  the  Royal  Family,  in  their  intense  anxiety  consequent  on  the 
most  alarming  illness  of  her  Majesty,  who  has  been  Patron  since  1851  of 
the  Institution. 
(Signed)  Veitch,  Chairman. 
This  was  acknowledged  later  in  the  evening  by  H.R.H.  the  Prince, 
and  shortly  afterwards  the  melancholy  news  arrived  that  Her  Majesty 
had  passed  to  her  reward. 
Report  of  the  Committee. 
In  presenting  their  annual  report  and  statement  of  accounts,  as 
audited,  for  the  year  1900,  the  committee  have  again  the  privilege  of 
congratulating  the  members  and  subscribers  on  the  continued  success 
which  has  attended  the  work  of  the  Institution  during  another  year — 
the  last  one  in  the  nineteenth  century,  and  the  completion  of  the 
sixty-first  year  in  the  society’s  history — and  they  desire  to  express 
their  thankfulness  that  the  help  afforded  to  the  large  number  of  old  and 
worthy  people,  whose  ciroumstances  have  compelled  them  to  seek  hs 
aid,  has  been  instrumental  in  providing  a  much  appreciated  measure  of 
relief  and  comfort  for  them  in  the  evening  of  their  lives,  after  a  service 
of  toil  for  the  pleasures  and  necessities  of  others. 
At  the  commencement  of  the  year  there  were  179  persons — ninety- 
eight  men  and  eighty-one  widows — who  were  receiving  permanent  aid 
of  £20  and  £16  a  year  respectively.  During  the  year  twenty-one  of 
these  pensioners  have  passed  away — fourteen  men  and  seven ’widows. 
Of  the  men  five  left  widows,  whose  circumstanoes  were  of  such  a  nature 
as  to  permit  the  committee  placing  them  at  once  on  the  funds  at  £16  a 
year  in  accordance  with  the  rules.  Thus  at  the  close  of  the  year  they 
had  sixteen  vacancies,  and  they  recommend  the  election  of  seventeen 
additional  pensioners  at  the  annual  meeting  and  eleotion  to  be  held  this 
day,  making  the  total  number  of  pensioners  for  life  180 — the  largest 
number  on  the  funds  of  the  Institution  since  it  was  founded. 
With  regard  to  finance,  the  committee  are  much  gratified  to  be  able 
to  report  that,  notwithstanding  the  heavy  demands  made  upon  the 
benevolent  public  during  the  past  year,  the  income  of  the  Institution 
has  been  well  maintained,  enabling  them  to  continue  and  increase  their 
operations  without  the  anxiety  which  must  necessarily  occur  with 
diminished  funds.  For  this  happy  result  the  committee  gratefully  offer 
their  sincere  thanks  to  all  the  friends  and  supporters  of  the  Institution 
throughout  the  country.  They  would,  however,  remind  their  friends  of 
the  increased  liabilities  incurred  in  adding  to  the  number  already  on 
the  funds,  but  they  confidently  appeal  for  continued  effort  on  the  part 
of  their  many  friends  and  supporters,  so  that  the  work  may  be  in  no 
wise  curtailed. 
The  committee  have  much  pleasure  in  stating  that  the  anniversary 
festival  dinner,  which  was  held  in  May  last  under  the  presidency  of  the 
Duke  of  Portland,  was  a  great  success.  They  gratefully  acknowledge 
their  deep  indebtedness  to  his  Grace  for  his  kindness  ia  presiding,  and 
for  his  able  and  effective  advocacy  of  the  Institution’s  claims,  which 
met  with  so  ready  and  generous  a  response.  In  tendering  his  Grace 
their  very  sincere  thanks,  the  committee  would  desire  to  thank  also  all 
those  who,  either  as  stewards,  collectors,  donors  of  flowers,  or  in  any 
other  way  contributed  to  the  success  attained.  They  would  further 
take  this  opportunity  of  expressing  their  thanks  to  the  honorary 
secretaries  of  the  several  auxiliaries,  and  to  other  friends  in  various 
iparts  of  the  country  for  their  kind  services  to  the  Institution,  as  well  as 
to  the  horticultural  Press  for  their  generous  help,  gratuitously  and 
ungrudgingly  afforded  at  all  times. 
The  committee  are  glad  to  state  that  the  Victorian  Era  Fund  is 
more  than  ever  a  source  of  invaluable  assistance  to  unsuccessful 
candidates — who  have  been  subscribers — whilst  awaiting  election. 
During  the  year  now  closed  the  sum  of  £99  has  been  distributed  as 
follows  : — Mrs.  Baxter,  £5;  J.  Gibbons,  £10;  J.  Jefferies,  £10;  G.  Marlow, 
,s£10  ;  W.  Smith,  £10 ;  G.  Wills,  £10 ;  T.  Kirkby,  £8  ;  Mrs.  Hackwell,  £8  ; 
S.  Mills,  £8;  Mrs.  Wighton,  £8;  Bird  Porter,  £7;  J.  Thatcher,  £3; 
W.  Gould,  £2.  And  the  thankful  letters  received  from  the  recipients 
unmistakeably  show  how  much  the  help  was  required  and  with  what 
.gratitude  it  has  been  received. 
Tne  Good  Samaritan  Fund — established  in  1899  for  the  purpose  of 
dispensing  temporary  relief  in  urgent  cases  of  trouble  and  distress — 
has  enabled  the  committee  to  grant  gratuities  in  two  oases,  and  as  the 
fund  has  been  augmented  during  the  past  year  by  £560,  and  although 
the  interest  alone  from  the  fund  is  available,  they  are  hopeful  that  they 
may  have  the  means  at  their  disposal  for  alleviating,  if  only  temporarily, 
many  sad  cases  of  distress  which  come  before  them.  They  again 
earnestly  commend  this  fund  to  those  friends  who  are  in  a  position  to 
afford  it  their  practical  sympathy  and  aid. 
In  their  last  report  the  committee  had  to  record  with  deep  regret 
the  death  of  the  Duke  of  Westminster,  who  had  been  their  valued 
president  for  many  years,  and  who  had  always  evinced  so  warm  an 
interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  Institution.  They  are  very  gratified  to  be 
able  now  to  announce  that  H.R.H.  the  Prince  of  Wales — who  since 
1871  had  been  patron  of  the  Institution— has  graciously  consented  to 
become  its  president.  For  this  gracious  and  powerful  support  to  the 
work  the  committee  are  confident  every  subscriber  will  join  with  them 
in  tendering  H.R.H.  their  respectful  and  grateful  thanks.  They  have 
also  the  pleasure  to  report  that  H.R.H.  the  Princess  of  Wales,  and 
their  R.H.’s  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  York,  hare  been  pleased  to  evince 
their  interest  in  the  work  carried  on  by  the  Institution  by  becoming 
patrons. 
Unfortunately  the  committee  have  again  to  deplore  the  loss  of  many 
warm  friends  and  subscribers  through  death,  amongst  whom  they  would 
mention  Mr.  John  Fraser,  formerly  for  some  years  a  member  of  the 
committee  ;  Mr.'  Philip  Crowley,  treasurer  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society,  and  Mr.  T.  B.  Haywood,  all  of  whom  for  many  years 
generously  supported  the  Institution. 
In  conclusion  the  committee  make  an  earnest  request  for  further 
help,  that  the  progress  made  by  the  Institution  hitherto  may  be 
sustained,  and  that  the  income  may  be  enlarged  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
warrant  them  in  granting  assistance  to  many  more  applicants  upon 
whom  declining  years,  infirmity,  and  misfortune  have  fallen. 
Dr.  BALANCE  SHEET,  1900. 
To  Balance . 
„  Amount  on  deposit  . . 
,,  Annual  subscriptions . £1526  4  6 
,,  Donations  at,  and  in  consequence  of  Festival 
Dinner,  including  collecting  cards  .  .  .  1455  4  6 
,,  Good  Samaritan  Fund .  560  9  0 
,,  Return  of  income  tax .  33  17  3 
,,  Advertisements  in  annual  reports .  46  15  6 
,,  Dividends  and  interest .  932  14  8 
£980  14  7 
3115  10  0 
4555  5  5 
£8651  10  0 
Cr. 
By  Pensions  and  gratuities . 
,,  Expenses  of  annual  meeting  and  election  .  . 
„  Secretary’s  salary . 
,,  Office  assistance . 
,,  Rent,  cleaning,  firing,  and  light . 
,,  Printing,  including  annual  reports,  voting 
papers,  appeals,  &c . 
,,  Stationery . 
,,  Festival  expenses . £208  6  4 
,,  Less  dinner  charges  ....  127  1  0 
„  Advertisement  in  Fry’s  Charities . 
;,  Postages,  including  reports,  voting  papers, 
appeals,  &c . 
„  Travelling  expenses .  .  .  . 
,,  Carriage,  telegrams,  repairs,  and  incidental 
expenses  . 
,,  Bank  charges . 
,,  Transferred  to  Good  Samaritan  Fund  .  .  . 
,,  Amount  on  deposit . 
,,  ^Balance  with  Treasurer . 
„  „  „  Secretary . 
.  .  .  .£3062  17  2 
....  12  5  5 
£275  0  0 
28  5  0 
89  11  2 
111 
18 
0 
17 
19 
6 
81 
5 
4 
3 
3 
0 
51 
8 
9 
5 
9 
2 
8 
3 
3 
0 
2 
0 
560 
9 
0 
3315  10 
0 
1024 
0  10 
4 
2 
5 
392  16  2 
279  9  0 
3875  19  0 
1028  3  3 
£8651  10  0 
*  This  balance  was  required  on  December  31st,  1900,  to  meet  the 
quarterly  payments  due  on  January  1st,  1901. 
VICTORIAN  ERA  FUND.  Balance  Sheet,  1900. 
To  Balance  . £40  16  7 
,,  Dividends . £126  12  4 
„  Return  of  income  tax .  478 
-  131  0  0 
£17116  7 
By  gratuities  to  unsuccessful  candidates.  .  .  .  £99  0  0 
„  Balance  .  .  .  .  * .  72  16  7 
-  £171  16  7 
£171  16  7 
