GIPSY SMITH'S MISSION

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 53, 31 August 1926, Page 8

GIPSY SMITH'S MISSION

UPROAR OVER COLLECTION

REPOBT DESCRIBED AS A LIE,

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.")

AUCKLAND, This Day. When it was announced last night that a collection would be taken up at Gipsy Smith's meeting, a man in the audience rose and accused the evangelist of making a considerable private gain out of the missions. Gipsy Smith roplied that ho did not come to New Zealand to get a reputation, as he had one before. He explained that the money collected was used to -defray the local expenses of the mission. The ministers on the platform could testify that this wag true? Finally the evangelist remarked that, while they were talking about him, the people wore leaving others alone.

Before the collectors got to work, Gipsy Smith asked how many of the audience had not been present previously, and a largo number of hands went up. "Well, then, you have two collections to make up." (Laughter.) This started the trouble. A man jumped to his feet and shouted, "Can't you pay any deficiency out of the £10,000 you made in Australia and the £5000 you expect to get here!" Gipsy Smith: "How do yon know I made £10,000 in Australia?"

Voices: "It's published in a New Zealand paper." Gipsy Smith: "Then, it's a liar." After an uproad of interruption, others expressed themselves as satisfied with Gipsy Smith's denial, although other inquirers wanted to know where he did get his money.