THE ARM'S WORK. SAID BRIGADIER ALBISTON.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 78, 28 September 1907, Page 11

THE ARM'S WORK.

SAID BRIGADIER ALBISTON.

.IN INTERVIEW. We do not work for money in the Salvation Army. Wo like money ; wo ask for money; but only to carry on the Army's work. General Booth has never received a penny of wages. When our organisation took shape, it was urged that he should take a regular salary. He refused ; and then a few people collected a fund of about £5000— the annual interest on which (about £200) has formed his total income. At his death the money reverts to the owners. Of course, when ho travels, his> expenses are paid from the Army funds. Two hundr?d a year is not quite £4 a week, and a brigadier gets nearly as much, as that. My wages, after thirty odd years' service with the Army, are £3 2s 6d a week. I have charge of organisation in the North Island. An officer gets from 15s to 25s a week; a married officer £2 2s. Where, owing to the poverty of a district or other causes, a corps is not self -supporting, ths wages are made' up from an Army fund. Men are, allowed more than women. Fewer men than women apply for admission to the Army. Both flien and women come chiefly from the working classes — the men from shops and workshops. A journalist? No, I never saved a journalist. And lawyers don't join us either. There are some kind of people who do not willingly receive tho 1 grace ; we have to struggle very hard with them. But I love journalists. I love tho press. In New Zealand it is very kind to us. We aro instructed always to pay attention to "the press. Next month our Self -Denial week comes ; already we have commenced collecting, and our headquarters manual tells us to give special attention, to advertising., It says; "Do your best to ENLIST THE SYMPATHY OF THE EDITORS. Through this agency many people will be reach&i who would not otherwise know anything about the S.-D. A WELL- WORDED EARLY NOTICE in the locaJ paper will prepare the people for the visit of your collectors. "Mako an appointment with the editor and keep it. Go armed with the press notice, and all the facts you can gather with regard to the S.-D. and the Army work generally. No trouble will be too much if you can CATCH THE EDITORS. "Failing everything else, spend a few shillings in a SHORT ADVERTISEMENT announcing S.-D., or your sale of work, or special meetings." I'm a Lancashire lad, and I'm afraid that as a boy I was a very great sinner. When I was sixteen I joined the Army. I went to a meeting and heard what was said, and suddenly I felt the influence of the Spirit upon me. I could, not resist; I went up and knelt at the penitent form, and presently I became a soldier- That was long ago, irt the days when the Army was persecuted. At first 1 was in Liverpool, and in the streets there I've been pelted with eggs and mud, and thumped and kicked, till I could scarcely stagger on. But, bless yotj ! it confirmed my strength ; it made 'a real soldier of me. I was drafted to corps in many English towns, and in .London ; and about twenty years ago I came to Australia. At first there was trouble there too. In Newcastle we used to have what they called the Skeleton Army — hundreds strong ; and they did their utmost to beat us. But tho Lord tarried us through it all ; and it did us good, it confirmed our faith. We would like a little opposition now ; things are too quiet ; and it is when people's minds are stirred that we do our best work The Army now is a vast machine fpr salvation, and our missionary and charitable work is carried on most methodically. New Zealand, I am proud to say, is our most generous giver. For last year's Self-Denial fund we raised in ! New Zealand £10,435 of a total of £30,- j 981 subscribed by all the Australasian ' States. The next largest contribution j came from New South Wales — £6356. ! The money was distributed among .ill I our funds for special purposes. The training home fund took £3000. The general fund took £5844. To the foreign service fund £8058 was given. That is | the only money sent oiit of Australasia, | and New Zealand's proportion would 'be about a third, or something over £2500. That money is devoted to the expenses of new corps in all the countries of the world. You might say, of course, that it's better for us to keep the money in the country; bnt we look upon the Army as a world-wide force, and we arranged that the successful divisions shall { help those that are starving. i In Australasia we are very successful, j Onr freehold property now is valued at over £300,000 ; and we haye 1 an annual income of some £40.000, excluding the £30,030 raised by Self-Deriial collections. No j I do not remember that in all i my years with tho Army I ever saw a , funny thing. It's all serious. And I 1 do not remember ever to hmn found , myself in an awkward place. The Lord helps us as we go.