THAT PRISON-GATE HOME

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7056, 18 February 1910, Page 4

THAT PRISON-GATE HOME

A great many people hare, sympathised with those residents of Island Btay who desired to induce the Solvation Army to establish its proposed prison-g Ute miss'ion homo in some other looality. After tlio report of aconferonice on 'the .suhjoct, held yesterday at the Town Hall, has been road the number will .probably not bo quite so l'arge. The conference appears to have been .cmnrposed of people who ; desired to .shed their brothers' blood .and <of those who were anxious /to throw mud at the Salvation' AWmy. I'l'he arguments pu'b .forward were these—(l) That the establishment of Itihe home .will depreciate the value of propriety in the district); (2) tbait .the officers of tho Saltation would be better .employed Handling, .picks and shovels thlan ■in pursuing tiheir present mfcfeiop; (3) thlat the Sttlte and the OPfcy -Council should) ba piarties to the establishment of ttiis home and .find a. site. Tlje reply (that immediately springs jto tho lips on tho second and third of these statements' is that one is ,a hla-tJant insult to -a most honourable .and self-dacrifici'ng body of imen, so gross in itls rudeness when pomiing from a» member of .the City Council .as •to bei unplard'onaiblo,' land that the other is ai recommendation ,to spend ( puiblio .money upon something for which .provision is already m'ade by another agency. So far ,as the doprectaibion in the value of property is ooncarned Aye would like to see some evidence tWa,t the establishment of similar Monies ,at cither places ..Mas had this result. AdmlMaing that establishment of tne home at Island "Bay will have'iliis effect is it not obvious that tho suggestion to put tho place "somewhere ielse," or "in the vkdntty of Baining street" must be met by objections upon the very aam«ie ground? Uiileis wq are,.', to' believe thWb depreciation will be oaused. at Island Bay only and tibia* "somewhere else" wall not suffoir tlio protecting citizens are asking that, same other .looality shiall be given the privilege of this special grievance. When it ,is mentioned tlilatt there .are timiid women at Island Bay, we fear there is reason !to suspect tUsat: the claas of .people are to bs' found ''somewhere else," and when it, is added th'at'thcre .are ,ma.Mtgagees vfbo will not renew .their advances'we can well believe it' If it wias proposed to pet ,up a'n .asylum for the in San ei ■alt IsJa-md Ray -there would be the same objection, yet sii'oh a p>aoe Was . existed fdr (a genoi'ation in ' oj pxfb of the city where population ■ gathered more rapidly thlan .anywhoro else. 1 If it were a gaol liflie outcry would be based on tlio -Same reasons, but a gaol has \o.og been located in the miafet of a high-priced residential area. This home Mas -to ho 'erected somewhere. It is no new thing. Prism-gate mission establishments *aro to (be,found lall over: th'e; world. Oan .the; Island Bay people,; support their anticipations of ill' by evidence drawn from .experience at. oraier places? If they oan their case would bq much stronger than it seems. Certainly the production of sudh evidence would .carry niose conviction •than the innuendo and crude .abuse of the Sahtotion Jlrmj indulged in yesterdlay." - The .Salvation Army laibouts with at thoroughness in tho Jeclam'ation, of hvfirian wreckage that i'nfspirds ungrudging admiration;, the world over. '"•,"'■