General Booth’s Scheme.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 570, 14 February 1891, Page 2

General Booth’s Scheme.

There was a heavy downpour of rain on Thursday night, but notwithstanding there was a good attendance at the City Rink to heir Adjutant Bishop’s explanation of General Booth's scheme "In Darkest England, and the Way out." Ths Adjutant said that he could not possibly excect. with *i.o a bo. * tiiun at nts aisposai, to fully deal with the scheme, and he would have to content himself with touching only on the fringe of it, or as it were to cult a few flowers from a beautiful garden. He began by giving statistics quoted from Mr Charles Booth’s book as to the dreadful condition of “ Darkest England,” and then went on to explain the organisation of the Salvation Army, with their various rescue homes, and other means of lifting the degraded and giving them a new chance in life. The time necessarily required to deal with this phase of the subject left only sufficient time for the speaker to rush hurriedly through in his explanation of ths scheme proper. The cardinal principle of it, as in all the Salvation Army work, is to try and give all mon a chance in life—it is really only a big development of the present organisation of the army, but does not compel any man to change his religion. First the organisation would be so developed as to try and give everyone an opportunity of getting work in ths cities; when that ie fully supplied they will be transferred to the city colony, and when that again becomes full, there will be the over-eca colonies. The speaker explained away the nonsensical assertions about dumping down criminals in the colonies, and explained the filtering progress every emigrant would have to go through, thoroughly proving him or her to be one fitted to be a good member of society, in conclusion Adjutant Bishop said he could not to give them more than a faint idea of the book, which everyone ought to get and read fop himself when a copy was obtainable,

Several prominent aitigens occupied seats on the platform. Captain Garbutt warmly thanked Mr Townley for allowing the free use of tha hall.