CHURCH ARMY WORKS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 72, 18 December 1926, Page 11

CHURCH ARMY WORKS

Sir, —New Zealand gave 6000 dinnerslust year to poor children c-f the Motherland; we hope to do as much this year. A little boy from Southwark, London, wrote this letter of thanks: “To NewZealand children and friends, we had i plenty of beef and vegetables, stewed ; fruit, custard, buns, oranges, and crackers. After dinner, singing, Punch and Judy, ami games." The proceeds of black wool so generously given by farmers to help in educating the chit- ■ dren of soldiers and sailors who fell 1 fighting for the Empire provides a part of the £5OOO which the Church Army 1 raises annually for this work over and , above the Government subsidy. The • Prime Minister of England, at the last annual meeting of the C.A.. said: “Their activities are innumerable.” Here arc a few: 8.17.000 beds to- men and 1 women in our labour homes: 200,000 free dinners; 100,01)0 visits to prisoners; 714 ; destitute women ami girls rescued: 4931 weeks’ holiday, for 2400 poor women and children. These figures are for one year only of Jhe 45 years of the social 1 work of the Army.

The Church Arihy is working in Australia. Canada, Jamaica, America and now in New Zealand. (In September S, 1926, the, commencement was made in New Zealand, when Captain B. P. Ball, C.A., was authorised to act as an evangelist here by the Bishop of Waiapu. The Anglican Church does its duty quietly, and does not go round to members of other Churches asking of assistance (although gratefully received when given), knowing that each, has its own Christian work to finance. Therefore it is not generally known that Anglicans are doing as much social work as they do. If Anglicans realised this, nnd the cost of it all, I feel sure rlmt some of the . generous gifts they make to other societies to enable them to do the very work their own Church is doing, and desires to do more extensively, would be given to her for her homos and other social work. We also desire to extend (he evangelistic work now commenced hr Contain Ball. F. W. WHTBLEY, Hon. See.. C.A. . The Vicarage. Orniondville.