SALVATION ARMY EMIGRANTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1686, 22 June 1904, Page 73 (Supplement)

SALVATION ARMY EMIGRANTS.

THE GENERAL’S SCHEME EXPLAINED.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) - * , LONDON, April 2i). So much has been written and said here, and seemingly in Australasia also, concerning the Salvation Army’s scheme for assisting people to emigrate from the Old Country to the- colonies, and _ w> many wrong ideas as to tire scope of the scheme appear to have been entertained, that I have thought it as well to gee some first hand information from one of the responsible officers at the Salvation Army headquarters in London. Accordingly I obtained to-day an interview with Commissioner Pollhrd. The commissioner, who was the pioneer of Salvation Army work in New Zealand, and is justly proud of the strides made by the Army in me colony since he first unfurled the blood-reel flag in M-aoriland in March 1883, is above all tuings a business man, utterly devoid of fads, and a man wbo> in business matters, at any rate, is certainly not given to “high faintin’.” Consequently our interview was brief and to the point. A question relating to tne scope of the scheme- was prefaced by a query as to whether the ideas of General Booth had takeu the shape of “cut and dried” proposals to any colonial authority or to the Colonial Ofiiee. Commissioner Pollard briefly explained that there was not at present any definitely formulated plan, but that the central and special feature of the General’s scheme was to provide for the location of individual emigrants before sending them out. This plan had been tried with gratifying success in Canada, whither the Army had sent several batches of emigrants. The method pursued was, briefly, this. A Special Commissioner was sent out to Canada to- make inquiries in the various provinces regarding the labour requirements in each locality how many men were required in each, part, tlie nature of. the employment open to possible emigrants, etc. His report was sent Home, and an a-ssistant commissioner was tnen sent out to interview employers of labour regarding their special, requirements, and in most, cases an arrangement was come to which ensured a suitable emigrant such employment as’his attainments might best fit him for. Armed with this special knowledge the Army authorities at Home winnowed the batch of would-be emigrants already to their hand, and sougnt for others likely to meet the special requirements of employers in \ Canada. Having made up a suitable party the Army authorities advanced V-o- each emigrant the money required to cover the cost of thing's absolutely necessary for the- journey to Canada and sustenance till the emigrant was safely billeted in his new home. A bond for the repayment of the advance was taken from the emigrant, the employer in most cases, I understand, being a party thereto. On arrival in Canada the emigrants were- met by the Salvation Army commissioners, who were responsible for sen ding them safely to th-eiir respective destinations. In the case of Canada this method has worked very well indeed, and Commissioner Pollard cannot see that, any objection can be taken t-o emigration conducted on these lines. The Army does not and will not be a- party to sending “wasters” out to the colony on tne offchance . that they might find cong'enial employment, nor will the Army authorities encourage men or women to efhigrate until they are assured not only Oj. the capacity of the would-be emigrants but of their being sure to find employment suitable to their capacity. The Army s motto indeed is “Find the place first, and the person to fill it after* Commissioner Pollard" desired me to emphasise strongly the fact that the emigration scheme has nothing to do with General Booth’s plan for dealing with vagrancy in the Old Country, and is not in the least an effort to rid the Motherland of batches of “undesirables.” The dominant idea is to assist those hardworking, well-intentioned people who, through no fault of their own, find life in the Old Country one long, hopeless struggle against grinding poverty, to use such talents as Providence has gifted them with to better advantage in lands where their labour .is required. So far as the colonies are concerned, Commissioner Pollard assured me that they have no need to fear any attempt at indiscriminate “dumping” of emigrants. General Booth’s desire is to work in the closest possible harmony with the colonial authorities, and, in fact, to make his organisation one for supplying the special needs of each particular colony in tho way of labour, The General’s idea is to get at the requirements of each colony, or' dependency, in the way of emigrants, from the local authorities and individual employers find the men and women best calculated t°. fill the vacancies disclosed, and submit thoso selected to the Agent-General or other official representative of a co-

lon.y for his approval, before despatching them. By this means a check would be placed on the Army authorities selections, and each colony, safeguarded against the intrusion of “undesirables.” It seems a common-sense policy of emigration.