SALVATION ARMY'S WORK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21160, 18 April 1932, Page 3

SALVATION ARMY'S WORK.

ADDRESS BY LEADER'S WIFE

LARGE MEETING OF WOMEN

A meeting of women at which representatives from practically every women's organisation in Auckland were present, was held in the Congress Hall, Grey's Avenue, on Saturday afternoon and was addressed by Mrs. ITiggins, wife of General E. J. Higgins, head of the Salvation Army. The Mayoress, Mrs. G. W. Hutchison, presided over the gathering, which completely filled the ball.

• ' There has never been a time in NewZealand when the need for a spiritual revival has been greater, and for this reason Mrs. Higgins' visit comes as a particular blessing to the Dominion," Mrs. Hutchison said in introducing the speaker. Further speeches of welcome were made by Mis-, B. E. Carnachan, Dominion president, of the National Council of Women, Miss Drew, president of the Baptist Women's Missionary Union, and Mrs. Commissioner Cunningham, of the Salvation Army. Mrs. Brigadier Scotriey proposed a vole of thanks to Mrs. Higgins at the conclusion of her address, and a vocal solo was given by Mrs. Captain Chandler.

In outlining the work of the Salvation Army, Mrs. Higgins said it would be realised by most people that from the beginning the army had concentrated on helping the very neediest people of the world. That was bow the late General Booth and liis wifo had started out. Their object in the first place had been not to build a great army or a worldwide organisation, but simply to meet the great need as they saw it in the East End of London. In epito of the fact that the army had since become an immense organisation with branches in 83 countries and colonies, it still adhered to its original principle, that of helping the poor, needy and unwanted peoples of the world. Now that the army had become so thoroughly established it was doing a great deal of preventive work, Mrs. Higgins said. One of the largest hostels of its kind in the world, containing 700 rooms, had been erected in Paris by the army authorities in the interests of the working girls and women of that city. All over America there were similar institutions.

Another building which was in tho course of erection in Paris was " A City of Refuge," to which all who were in any kind of need were invited to go. 1 ho Salvation Army officers there would meet that need, whatever it might be, as far as their experience, understanding and ability permitted. The cost of the building was 12 million francs, to which the French people had themselves already contributed eight and a-half million francs. Reference was made by Mrs. Iliggins to the pleasure-loving spirit which she said had infected tho world for some years past. "In my opinion there are very definite signs abroad in the world that people are getting tired of that round of pleasure that once seemed to absorb them," she said. " People are now thinking things out and are becoming moie seriously-minded. They are beginning to read more and many now realise that life means something more than just having a, good time." Mrs. Iliggins pointed out that the world had been advancing at a furious rate on the material side of things during the past years, and since the war, She said there had been a great declining of things spiritual. " I believe a great truth was uttered in the words of the late Thomas Edison, who said just before his death that if there was a God He would not allow us to advance much more materially until we had caught up spiritual! v."