The criticism in this column last week of the system
of " recommendation-letters " still employed by a small number of established charities (I see that the Royal Hospital for Incurables has just published the results of it last half-yearly " election " ; the idea of incurables competing desperately in the collection of votes is not attractive) has evoked a good deal of agreement. The secretary of that most valuable agency the Governesses' Benevo- lent Institution, describing the system as "a pernicious anachronism," gives some very instructive figures arising out of the experience of his own society. It did for some years main- tain the voting system, but "quite apart from all other considera- tions it is a costly system, for it necessitates much printing and postage in getting out the necessary polling-papers, lists of candi- dates and so on." In five elections it was found that less than 15 per cent, of those entitled to vote did so. There were, however, a few annuities regarding which it was stipulated statutorily when they were founded that they should be filled by the votes of members. One has just fallen vacant. Some 4,000 voting cards were issued in connexion with it. Of these 2,500 were returned, and of the 2,500 no fewer than 2,150 took the form of proxies to the Board of the Institution, which was thus able to make the appointment after full investigation and solely on the grounds of need and desert—a most satisfactory development. * * * *
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