LUNCHEON AT THE NEW ZEALAND CLUB

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 106, 6 May 1924, Page 2

LUNCHEON AT THE NEW ZEALAND CLUB

IMMIGRATION AND EDUCATION.

The New Zealand Club tendered' a luncheon to General Booth, of the Salvation Army, in the -t-.JM.O.Ai Hall yesterday afternoon. Mr. A. W. "Parton presided, and;there was.a very large and.representative.gathering'to'dqhonour to the disthiguisiied guest. .Amongst the guests were, Commissioners Majjp and Hoggard Colonel Henry, Adjutant Booth, Brigadier Smith, and Major Green The Mayor. (Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P.) was notable to be present.' In introducing-■:■ the" principal guest, Mr. Parton said he was a. poc-er in the religious and social life "of the Empire: Ihey admired.:the. fight the Army, had made to get,to ..the very great position of importance it had attained. ? General "Booth said the world was the Army's field, and it was advancing daily towards its object.-'"Progress was not always as rapid in one country as it was in another, but the work'was' advancing everywhere.. They were- endeavouring to extend then: work, and one of-'thV most recent"^departures, was into hospital life, while.;they' were considering mpre closely the matter of; education. .. The Army had not done a great deal towatds education, preferring to work %yith the adults, thereby 6e cu r ing .influence with the children. ' However, they, had found _that,:. particularly in.-:.-the heathen countries, the convert's first inquiry was as to what they could \do for his children, and they had to.be able to do something for the children. In some countries, such as India,' they were getting large grants: to help with the children.' They were not getting such good support in Africa, but they .were going ahead. The whole, movement was working in the direction of a. larger outlook on the;-world's work. In some places their work was having astpnishingly-^----sometimes surprisingly-^good; 'results. The work of' saying : the lost she4p of other folds,: was :growing greater, and greater. He did-iiot-thinic there was a church in "Christendom-that' had not 'had restored to'it ' by :the'Army people who had wandered into the-wjliierriess. Many, and often' very feelingly ;£Kankful, /letters were received by the/speaker and '.Ms' late father for help that'had been given derelipls. Their work hud been extended to'beggars, particularly in India, where the Government had offered land arid a per capita grant if ' the Array would take; the beggars. ' ■'"'■,- ' ' • "-Dp '.you know, our''secret \vith the beggars ?"■ asked! General Booth. "It is this. ' 'We make the ■ beggars. \vork, (Laughter.) There is a certain psychological satisfaction in seeing a man; you know has never done a day's work in his life bending his back to, "something-use-, .fu1,"...... ; ' :.•,'. . "'"•■;":-'■. . " •'.■' General Booth went on to Tefer to \ho Army's hop* es in", connqctipn. with, brinii-' lial life, .an outline of which, has. already been published in "The Post.'-' "Ypii have to face the fact that the heathen people are advancing in num-. bers much more .quickly than are the white'nations. It is a matter of world importance," and it is no use .'saying, 'Well, nothing will happen in. my. life.' The position is serious and must be •'faced now,, in my opinion. -It behoves us, who have so many of.'these people under our flag, to help them to a niore wholesome ana.; friendly, condition ■ of,' life."' These aiid-.many things'wera Tbeing;:watched by tJie/Army,' but ;to ■assist theni' the' Army■ must. have.'riip're'! and niore' '.iiiea, - and ■mpney. It all Implied' a great .financial responsibility, .which, was ever growing. He thanked"New: Zealand for wliat H did in the support. : of the .seli-deiiial appeals. About one-third of these were spent.on foreign missions. - : ' The speaker, mentioned that the Army was-dealing with'a large' number of emigrants. '. : They-had sent out 50,000 in seven years, and had only had 600.failures,- .200 of these', being/through' ill-: health. If there were failures the iArrny returned Hhem to the places they came from at the Army's expense. He was extremely concerned, just now about lads of 16-and 17, and'hethougjit they would dp well in New Zealand. They were good, heajthy, well-brought-up lads, who would do well in New.Zealand. There were tens of thousands of lads who would be proud to be ; able to work. These boys were the ideal" immigrant... In a, couple of years they would become New Zea^ landers. Jle preferred sending a Jioy to a man, the x latter haying developed habits which, if npt bad,'were often useless. (Laughter.)', "I should be an ass, a donkey—people'ave born asses, they make themselves' donkeys—if I sent men who were!no use to you,1' remarked the General amid ■ laughter, and. applause. , The gatherings, concluded with a very hearty vote of thanks to the General.