GENERAL BOOTH'S MOTOR TOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12698, 29 October 1904, Page 5 (Supplement)

GENERAL BOOTH'S MOTOR TOUR.

.General Booth has brought his 1500 miles motor tour—from Land's End to Aberdeen— to 3; finish: The tour began at- St. Just on ] August 8. The venerable Salvation Army leader has eclipsed all his previous records. He has spoken four -. or five times a day, often at considerable length. His audiences have varied from .15,000 to 200. The campaign has been a striking tribute to the personality and career of General. Booth. Everywhere the general was received with enthusiasm. The general is deeply grateful for his treatment by the people whom he encountered along the way, and, referring to Aberdeen, he describes it as a '"'day of heaven on earth." In an address to his " comrades and friends," he declared: "It was, indeed, salvation in earnest, salvation on fire, salvation in. a death-grapple,with hell for the bloc .'.-bought souls of men." The epistle closed characteristically, "Yours, at motor speed for the kingdom, William Booth. " At Bervie a halt. was made, arid the school children, assembled, singing, " Onward, Christian Soldiers." The general, standing in his car, addressed the people who crowded round as follows:--'

" I hope lam a Christian soldier. Whether I am, in the motor-car, or wherever I may be, I am marching. on to war against the devil, fighting for'my Master, for the glory of God, and for the welfare of the world, especially that section which has the fewest opportunities and privileges. I started this tour with the object of stirring people up. I want to make people think that they are better than the cattle in' the field.; I want them to know that they have souls. I want them to think of the prosperity of the world to come, as well as the prosperity of this present life. What I ask you to do is to help us to turn the world upside down, and to drive the devil out. Come along, and let us all serve God, and go to heaven together." n _ •

The- entry into Aberdeen was the crowning success of the tour. A meeting was held, under, the chairmanship of Lord Provost Walker. On behalf of 250 fishergirls, Lord Aberdeen presented General , Booth with an address ;of welcome. Receiving it, the general said, "God bless all the fishergirls of Scotland and elsewhere. I thank you for this beautiful address, which I shall hang up and look at in days to come." ;:

■;.;-: A TALK WITH THE CHIEF. - A representative of the Telegraph had j a long talk with General Booth. " Taken ' on the whole," .the interviewer asked, ; "would you think the country is more devout - now : than it was fifty years r ago?" There was no hesitaion about the answer, "No," replied the general, with great -em-" phasis, and then he paused, and reflectively walked several times across the room", one hand still behind him and the other stroking his beard. "You see," he said, so muoh of the religion -is superficial.v" The churches go for the tops of society, and do not seem to reach the destitute. ■ They prefer respectable '< people. : You "? have libraries and newspapers, bub they are for the reading and thinking section of the public. But there is a growing-section that' never reads a line. We are coming to a state of things when people will not take any interest- in anything except football and bloodshed, and eating and drinking, and dressing and musichalls. ;» And then there is the great housing question," said the general. -"'This'. problem will only be solved when governing authorities make :it \ possible ; for the poorer classes to live cheaply and reach without difficulty the - healthy suburbs. I I think thci authorities should construct teamways which would rapidly carry the people into the country districts." . " What is your idea for the prevention of immorality and crime?" ' " What we want is an Organisation : for. the J prevention of . evil. :;(Why; : should not every village have an agency. for befriending all who; want to save themselves, ■} their families, and their friends—l mean a kind of father's house? The State is governor and law-maker, and fixes the rules and regulations governing the every-day lives of the citizens. Why, then, should not the State-be a . father to its people? What I mean is this: supposing a drunkard wishes "to i save himself, to whom is he • to* apply for help, and support'.' during his- faying effort? You will say, to the nearest minister of some religious-body. But, as a general rule, the clergyman is as, ignorant and helpless in dealing - with immorality and i crime as he could possibly be. Supposing a woman who has fallen to a life of shame wishes to help herself to'recover her lost to whom is she- to apply? She is practically; a prisoner in the house to which she has been beguiled. Her very clothes are not her own, and she knows: very well I ;if she walks off she will be threatened with prison by her masters. Practically for the desolate creature there is no way of escape . except the Salvation Army. The girls desirous of getting back to a better life tell one another about the Army, -but they are not prepared to become Salvationists. Then, why should not there be an institution to which these girls" can apply, and say, 'I want to be helped to a better lifer . I believe, that every one of these. women has at some time yearnings for something better. ; Then,.again, with regard to unfaithfulness between husband and wife, there is only the Divorce Court. An agency, carefully »'nd considerately organised, might, in. many case«, do very good work. I will give you an instance. A doctor, a married man, with four children, ran away with another man's wife, who had two children. The | man whose wife had been stolen from him I was frantic. He applied to ':-the Salvation I Army. The only clue that could; be found 1 |as to the whereabouts of-the doctor was a small piece of paper with the; word 5 Australia upon it. We communicated with our Investigation Department in Australia, j. and' j found that the two people had landed ; and | gone to the backblbcks of the country. I They were traced out, and one of our officers pleaded with, the woman, and she con- | sented togo back; to her husband. After a I time the doctor asked the Army to reconcile him to his wife. ; We tried to do so, but the; woman at once ; brought an action for divorce. This, I think, is an instance where I an agency could have done good work." On the question of prisons, the general said: "I should alter their methods considerably. I should make the punishment '■; short but sharp. A long term of imprisonment has two evils. Human nature has {inaptitude to; adapt itself to circumstances which are unavoidable, and so prison loses its terror.. Then, I think, after a long term of imprisonment, the man , loses his will power,, and becomes a mere thing which moves to orders. But to turn to another section of the community," continued the general. " The people are easily amused. Why do not the authorities do more to provide innocent amusement? There are parks, but many people, do not care about parks. There are thousands of children who do not like the parks as they are. : . Why do not they have an old elephant or two, and some monkeys, or a toothless lion who could be bought cheap, and a few bears in a pit. Whv. such a modest show would be the delight of the youngsters." The journalist inquired the financial result of this tour. " I do not know the figures as yet, but after paying all expenses we. have a balance in hand which will be divided amongst : the Salvation Army, corps of the towns, and: villages through which we passed." ; Generail Booth later,returned to London. ■-~.:,