DRUG ADDICTS

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 252, 8 July 1926, Page 6

DRUG ADDICTS

CHARGES AGAINST YOUNG PEOPLE COLONEL KNOTT EXPLAINS IN LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER A very different complexion is placed on the reported allegations concerning the adherence of young people to drug societies iu New Zealand by a letter written by Colonel Knott, chief secretary of the Salvation Army in New Zealand, to the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates). Yesterday Mr. Coates used the letter as a reply to a question asked on the subject by the member for Auckland East (Mr. J. A. Lee). . Mr. Lee had asked Mr. Coates whether, in the interests of the young manhood and womanhood of New Zealand, he would give a certain evangelist an opportunity of making good his charges that New Zealand’s boys and girls are given to membership of drug societies; and whether, fading the substantiation of the charges, the Prime Minister would issue a statement to this effect? The letter of Colonel Knott runs as follows: —“I presume that I am the person referred to as having made the alleged statements. I respectfully beg to correct the error that has been circulated and become the subject of liberal comment in the newspapers. I stated that the origin of the allegations against me sprang from an interview that I granted to a reporter in Christchurch for the direct and only purpose of explaining a misunderstanding that had been published, concerning certain branches of Salvation Army activities. It had been reported that the Salvation Army was modifying its work for women and cliildren, and that it would be necessary for other societies to do the work. As this was a misrepresentation of tlie facts, I was asked to explain the position. AH that the Salvation Army bad done to cause the report referred to was the introduction of a svsteui of classification of the older and younger women and children in our various homes in order to give a closer .administration and secure better results. 1 bis was the one and only reason for our seeking the assistance of the newspapers. The following morning, to my surprise I found tliat the paper in question bad dealt with the interview under two separate headings, tlie sections appearing on different pages of the. newspaper, one correcting the misunderstanding with regard to our classification of our institutions, the other appearing with sensational headlines and direct "and definite statements which I was represented as having made. ‘‘ Amongst these it is definitely stated that I said that there were secret societies amongst the young people who were using drugs for immoral purposes. All I said in this connection was that in dealing with drug addicts whom we came across in various branches of our work some of them had gone so far as to tell ns that these were actually the facts. To various inquiries that have been addressed to me since, my reply has been, and still is, that the Salvation Armv whose purposes and labours are so well known to the people of the Dominion, is to the very best of its abilitv dealing with the addicts of sin, misfortune, and crime, no matter under what beading their particular fallings can be classed, and I presume to sav that at no time were we more trusted and supported in our efforts in this direction.”