IN CONGRESS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2109, 28 March 1914, Page 3

IN CONGRESS.

SALVATION OFFICERS MEET FROM NEAR & FAR, Tho second annual National Tcrri- | torial Congress of the Salvatiou Army j opened here yesterday. Army officers j havo como to attend it from as far north ! as Whangarei, and from as far south as , tho Bluff, the total mimW being about 400. Besides these, a large number of soldiers are takii.g part in the various , functions, meetings, and demonstrations. About 200 of the officers present havo como from the south, and ail day , yesterday others kept arriving from tho , north. Four commanders—Brigadier , Vinco, of Auckland, Staff-Captain Xciviiy. of Christehurch, and Briffiidier Carmichael, of Wellington—are in , charge of the divisions. . , Programme of Congress. , The congress programme is a eompre- . hcusive one, extending. as it does, on ■ to Tlnirsdav evening. ' To-day, five of ; the. bands, including' the Btmedm City Band'(of 25 strong), the Feilding .Band (26 strong), tho Wellington City Band . (41 strong), and the Petone and New- : town Bands, arc to parade the streets. At - the Vivian Street Citadel in the even- < ing all the bands, acting in conjunction . with the songsters, will give a grand ■ musical festival On Sunday .morning Commissioner Richards is to conduct a Holiness Meeting at- the Citadel, while, iri tho afternoon, a combined open air in which about 2UOO officers and soldiers will take part, is te bo held at tho Basin Reserve. At 7.45 p.m. another demonstration will be held at His Majesty's Theatre, in the event of the weather being unfavourable tho afternoon demonstration will also bo held at His Majesty's Theatre. On Monday evening, a young people's tk:monstration will be field at- the Citadel, Vivian Street. In this tho children from tho Eltliam Boys' Home and the local Children's Home will participate. The new Maternity Home will be opened on Wednesday afteritmou by the Slayor (Mr. J. IVLjjke), and on Thursday at 3 p.m. tho Hon. F, M. B. Fislior is to open the Booth Memorial Training College. i The Creat London Gathering, The conclusion of tli.e congress will be reached on Thursday evening, when a spectacular • demonstration ana farewell will bo given to the delegates. They loavo on the following day for the London Congress. Tho latter will be the largest international gathering of delegates that the Army has ever held during its wholo history, and fully two thousand, oversea delegates will be in attendance. Throughout tho present congress a number of private eofiferoiiees are to bo held. Each of these is j to bo presided over by Commissioner Richards, and addressed by him. At certain intervals in these conferences papers arc to be given by selected officers. In these every feature of Army work will be touched on. A comprehensive summary of the advance made by the Salvation Army during tho regime of Commissioner Richards appears elsewhere.

WELCOMING THE VISITORS. At tho Army Citadel last evening the delegates to the Congress were welcomed at a reception which took tho form of a conversazione. Commissioner ltichards, in -welcoming the delegates, spoke of the progress; that tho Army had made in tbe Dominion. This is the second national congress that h&s assembled; and thi Coamissioficr referred with pleasure to the strides made since the.last congress. A number of other representative delegates also spoke, touching briefly upon matters which will be elaborated in detail at tho public demonstrations to bo held. The \vc!como functian passed off very pleasantly, local and visiting officers welcoming tho opportunity of meeting in social good fellowship.