WAR WORK OF THE SALVATION ARMY.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 6966, 23 January 1918, Page 4

WAR WORK OF THE SALVATION ARMY.

Among the organisations that have realized the need far tbe establishment and maintenance of agencies that minister to the comfort i of the soldier, both in the training campa atrd at the front, as well as in other respects, tbe Salvation Army haß taken a very high place. Its organiaa- I tion enabled it from the very beginning of hostilities to undertake measures for the opening cf institutes and hutments and regt-camps for the convenience of the soldier a and for the provision of tbe refreehmert and recreation that are acknowledged to be of inestimable value in pteßeivation \of the fitnees of the fighting man of the empire, and not only has there i been no relaxation of its efforts but 1 there has been a steady expansion of * ita activities from that tiire to the , present. The Salvation Army, it is > needless to ssy, has no material re- > sources behind :t. What ia done by it, t is done in the faith that the public, i recognising the value of the ..services »it is performng to the arm;*, will sup- * ply it with tha means that will enable it to carry on its immensely useful and important work, and its faith has ' not been misplaced. There is no temp- , tation to compare the war activities ,of the Salvation Army with those of > other organisations that are doing similar work, perhipa to some extent \in the same way, for all are rendering a service to the National cause of * which the value cannot be reckoned in ' mere money and all merit the sub- ', stantial support cf the community. ■ But the Salvation Array is more dependable than any of the othere on the ' practical eupport of the public aa a whole, for the simple reason that its own members are, for sufficient obvious reasons, unable to supply it with the finance that is necessary for tbe contiuianee of its aclivitiea. It is the more entitled to credit, on that account for the remarkable development and Euccess of its war work. At the present tin-e arrangements are being completed for the raising of £35,000 by means of a Patriotic Appeal throughiut the Dominion for the war work nf the Salvation Army and which it is intended to allocate as follows:— For comforts for New Zealand soldiers and hospital work at Home and at the front, £10,000; for maintaining and extending our war work in New Zealand, £10,000; for an additional hostel for New Zealand soldiers in England or France, £3,000; for additional hutmetits for New Zealand Boldieiß in England or France, £2.000; for six additional motor ambulances ar.d maintenance in France, £5,000; towards hoetel accommodation for returned soldiers, now in course of erection in Wellington, £5,000. Right throughout the Dominion the appeal is being Hkeu up heartily and a host of ladies and gentlemen have pledged earnest support and hearty co operation. Various committees already formed are arranging schemes whilst new workers are being linked up to make the appeal all the success it deserves to be. Quite a number of the Patriotic Leagues throughout the Dominion have made contributions from their funds to the Army's war work, being thoroughly satisfied in the 1 Army's ability to dispense it in the most economical method. The Otago Patriotic Association has just given £500. TheSalvai n Army has the machinery for doing the work and their balance sheets are credentials of the highest order. Figures are cold things, and are quite incapable of conveying all the war work done by the Salvation Army in our land and abroad. The following statistics will, however, give our readers aome idea of tbe magnitude of their .j_jff|-C or our service men :— 300,000 men in the naval and military are being helped esch week. 100,000 men attend services held for their behalf at the front, 50 motor ambulances are in constant use at the front. These cars are manned by Salvationists, and each holds 8 men. Over 150,000 wounded men have been carried in these cars. 153 refreshment and recreation huts are provided by the Army. 77 hostels and hutments have been built in France, costing over £200,000 600 officers and 1,000 employees are wholly employed on war work. 100,000 service men are housed nightly in the Army hostels. 8 Chaplains are serving with the N.Z.E.F.: 5 of those are abroad and 3 are is N.Z. Camps. 30,000 relatives of service men have been entertained at teas and social gatherings. • Over 50,000 parcels have been delivered to British prisoners in Germany. This has been accomplished through the Salvation Army Headquarter* in Holland. Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, etc. At Rotorua the Salvation Army have given £500 to the erection of the Kiog George Hospital, and in addition have provided for the returned men a fully equipped institute, with all facilities. Everything ia provided free to the i men, and last week 836 morning and j ) afternoon teaa and supperß were served. There is also a moto; launch, seating 25 men. and motor car provided to give the wou ided men trips on the Lake and surroundings. A returned S. A. Officer, who lost one of bis legs on the battlefield, is in cla'ge of the Institute. Another phase of the Army's War Work and a very worthy one is tbe feet that over 60 orphans of soldiers are being housed and trained in the Army's Boy 9* and Girls' Home 3, 2.060 acres of land have been donated, situated at Putaruru, and this is being made into an ArgicuHural Training Farm for our own and our; Allies' orphans. Boys will he trained us farmers and the girls as domestics. At the War Orphanage at Temuka a school costing £1,000 and donated by MrsT. H. Lowry, of Hastings, whichis specially f_r the educating of these children, has been recently opened. In our own Province the Army has Or phanaxes f or the children ot fightin^ and fallen soldiers at Russell (for boys) and Heme Bay (for girla). Staff-Captain Mary Booth, who is the eldest daughter of tbe present General, is on duty i" France and keeps a staff of 16 typistes at work dealing with the Enquiry Departmenj

By this means thousand of relatives Bre constantly informed concerning their boyi at the front &nd also iegarding the whereabouts of the sf raves of our fallen heroes. The Salvation Army has not only attended to the wants of the soldier ; and bi-s children but special provision has been made for his relatives. In close proximity to the Camp at Featheratcn there ia the relatives* hostel, where extensivo acomraodatkjn is provided for tbe mothers and wives and eiste*s of our men whilst in training. Only relative? cf soldiers are accommodated and no one is allowed to stsy over four weeks. All hospitals and ssnatoriuais are visited weekly by women officers and comforts provided. Hospital ships and returning troopships are met on arrival by an Army chaplain and any assistance offered- Sewing Guilds mccl weekly in tbe local corp3 and make garments, which are distributed by the Army Chaplain at the front. New Zsalasid'B first Chaplain—now Chaplain-Major Greene, M.C., is tbe O.C. of the Gifts Section, under General Richardson in Londo?i, sr.d is spoken cf in the highest.'in fact-this is the compliment paid to all the Army war workers Hundreds of enquiries rave been made for anxious relatives regarding their missing and wounded Jived ones with very satisfactory results. Two married couples (S.A. Captains) were dispatched specially from Mew Zealand last year to take charge of hutments on Salisbury Plains, and are located where the New Zealand Keinforcenifltits are drafted upon their arrival in England.