SALVATION ARMY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 729, 31 January 1910, Page 6

SALVATION ARMY.

COMMISSIONER HAT INTER

';':•;;< '■'■:■ '■ "■■ •,"; : .•■■:■■■■ >Coinmissioner;;Hay''XChief ,of .the tion Army Staff for' Australasia) and Mrs.; ;Hay, "who are about,to.tour the Dominion, are .expected' to arrive in' Wellington ,rrom the.south to-morrow. '■' '..'.: . Commissioner (says ' the',;'Otago Daily.; Times") ..is,.apparently fully, pps-. . sessed.of.- the ; same',' remarkable. spirit' of activity and progressiveness. which is bo characteristic of the leaders of the Saltation Army the'world over," and which is so deeply reflected in the • great humanitarian .work whioh' is being carried on in almost every civilised country. He: has been about four.months;in Australia, and has just reaohed Neu. Zealand,Vbut: has already not •■■- only obtained, a thorough' fpasp. of what' comes under his charge, . ut has actually -started out' on several new .departures, in connection with the social.work-of the/Army. \ ' '. i.; '_ Commissioner, Hay has been on officer of the Army for the.' past- 27$ years, his career/commencing'. in;Glasg6'w. Serving for ..some years as an officer in .the Old Country, reached the position of chief executive officer...under. -Mr. Bramwell Booth. For'two years he was principal of the .. International . Training ■ Colleges, where there are always. 500 or. 600 young people in training for the'duties of officership ; ; throughout the ' world. , The commissioner has travelled, extensively,, and his training : and experience, should have a .lasting', benefit, when brought to bear upon the Army's'operations an Australia : and' New Zealand. ~..'.:

A -brief'.interview' was^.accorded.-to a "Times" reporter-., by . the,; commissioner. The question- of separate control for Australia and New- Zealand having been settled; .both; countries are as one, 1 and under one command, that of Commissioner Hay.' "As i to what ,:the. future/.may evolve,"-said the commissioner, "it is as yet, somewhat early to; say with any- degree of certainty. But the policy of the Army iall continue along the same progressive lines, ■ and . the social; work may even be extended. I.have visited all the States of Australia, and was".liighly gratis fled- at what, 1 1 saw-of the .effectiveness of the'work being carried on. I have just "purchased- a- new home eight,miles from in: which we are going to undertake/the, oure. of women::;in-ebriatcs-ona larger scale than, hitherto. We have also decided to; build a large people's palace at Brisbane—a scheme costing, i! 12,000.:, An ..anti-smoking and anii-garabling league among boys 1 have, also started: in Australia,- and within' a very short time I hope to- have from .10,000 to 20,000 boys enrolled-as membars. This league will, of be extended to New Zealand. 'In' Australia the: proposal is being'taken up heartily.- I have also.;•'.started ■ classes for inculcating a spirit of physical purity among boys and girls of tender age. There : is a great cry • for . some such teaching in Victoria, and the Salvation Army has responded to that ■ earnest ■-. appeal. by initiating : these social,purity classes." ;'.,-:•:

Interviewed in Christchuich, Commissioner:- -Hay 6aid :; he." was . particularly directing his attention to the; obligations resting■ on the Army to develop.€he work atßotorua and Pakatca. He was proposing to considerably develop the .'Training College in Melbourne. The idea of the advanced training, was that' every- Army officer in Australasia would not only be able to preach a sermon,' but'■ to set a broken limb or help a poor mother in: the baok-blocks with any of the problems that might arise in•'.. connection' with her family. The college would give advanced training in hygiene, first aid,: and kindred matters, so that. the capacity and usefulness of the Army officer for good service w.ould be increased.