SALVATION ARMY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21577, 23 August 1933, Page 12

SALVATION ARMY

NEW CHIEF SECRETARY ARRIVAL AT WELLINGTON LONG SERVICE IN ENGLAND [by telegraph —OWN correspondent] WELLINGTON. Tuesday A warm welcome was given Colonel A. W. Orsborn, tho new chief secretary of tho Salvation Army in N<sw Zealand, and Mrs. Orsborn and their three children, when they arrived by tho Marama from Sydney to-day. Commissioner J. Cunningham headed a largo gathering of Salvation Army, representatives on tho wharf, and brief speeches of welcome wcro made. Colonel Orsborn, in replying, expressed his pleasuro at coming to tho Dominion. Colonel Orsborn succeeds Colonel Taylor, who has retired and gone to Canada. Ho has had nearly 28 years' service in tho Salvation Army, all of it in England. For tho past eight "years ho had been in charge of tho men's training work at tho William Booth Memorial College, London. Mrs. Orsborn was born in Melbourne, her parents being tho late Colonel J. Barker and Mrs. Barker, pioneer officers of the Salvation Army in Victoria. In an interview, Colonel Orsborn said tho William' Booth Memorial College R-as a largo training centre, receiving annually from 250 to 400 young people of both sexes who volunteered for training as officers. They underwent a preliminary training courso in their own corps before entering tho college, the main course at which occupied nine months. Tho training was not on strictly academic lines, but wgs directed more particularly to fitting officers for practical service, such as slum work and evangelistic and missionary activities. Last year just over 250 officers were commissioned for stations in tho British Isles and other countries, not including Dominions which wcro selfsupporting in training officers. Tho college cost £825,000 to build and had been open for three years. Colonel Orsborn continued. It had been opened free of debt and comprised magnificent buildings designed on true collego lines. He indicated that the Salvation Army was steadily gaining ground in England. Progress had been very difficult recently, of course. The organisation stood well in the estimation of the people. There was a great need for the work in England. Slum work in particular was a gieat feature of the, activities at present. It had received a tremendous fillip from a book by Mr. Hugh Redmond, who certainly had done a splendid thing for tho slum work of the Salvation Army, not only for tho widespread influence of his book, but by reason of tho fact that ho had sacrificed all his royalties and devoted them to slum work. Colonel Orsborn said ho was looking forward to his new duties with keen interest and enthusiasm. He had never been in New Zealand before, and both he and Mrs. Orsborn were eagerly anticipating their new field of work.