THE SALVATION ARMY.
RECEPTION OF COMJIANDANT H. 800 TH..>'.;.::, ■, :
Commandant Herbert Booth; ;who is no» ;) : oil a visit-to the colonies of Australasia, iu> : -; ■' rived on the,22nd by the express train from'-. ... Invercargill, and. was accorded "a' very hearty ,; and by no means undemonstrative reception;... .;■ at the Caversham railway station, though .the reception was officially regarded as informal,..-; J Before the time for the arrival of thesouthern1, - express a large number of officers and-mem; ;' bers of the Army, with the City Band of tK« 'J Army, in full force, assembled on the station '; platform, and awaited with considerable ;uool-.";-- ; patience the arrival of the train, for the ar-; - : rival of any . member of General Booth?? .... family is an event of no mean consequent! to : the members of the Army, and Comniantlant ' ~ Herbert Booth is understood to *be exiiep-.... ■tionally popular in the best and most creditable sense of popularity. . ' _ V':l;-:,\ 'Representatives from all the corps in~'tsjs!. I ':.v' district 'were in attendance;'-all ;in full. ui*i-> ' form, and some wearing bright sashes, bearing V the word " Welcome," while: others carried "i.";" : flags. Amongst the staff officers present were.'; Major Harris and Captain Lock. ' •;"'.,' The train was late, and did not arrive until-:;.:. SjiOjand when it came in and thecdmmaridarit; '.-; accompanied by Colonel Peart and Colonel; ■':> Hoskin, landed,, they were received with en? .y -. tl.usi.ism.' Commandant' Booth' was"' intro-V-'.V-' duced to the officers, and, addressing the.'.' members of the Army as comrades, thanked v, I them and said ho hoped they would never, >'-.'" have to regret this meeting, and gave 'a. word"...' ■ ' of commendation to the Dunedin band; : .' '■ '"■:' interview. . ." ■ .■':"■■.'...V':'... Commandant' Booth at once left the station ■■','' for Major Bennett's quarters at Cavershain' " for'much needed, but temporary, rest and re-, ■.■'>:' freshment; but while doing so granted, an .; interview,, in'the cab, to the representatives:■,•■'; of the press. No one will be likely to accuse the, :' Salvation Army officers of idleness, their dili--'' ;■ genco. and vigilance are well-known, and' the • leaders in the movement are acknowledged. • examples in both respects, and during the few'-i:.. moments at the station quite a number of; - '. written communications were received. The commandant, after glancing at these do.cn-:> ( ments, said: "I, have just received a tele- ..' gram stating that ono of the biggest buildings '. ,' in Sydney has just been taken to be fitted outI'■,!"'•' as a men's shelter, and a women's shelter,>arid !|t a working man's hotel. In that place we ex-! pect to have, accommodation altogether,.for ( ■ between four and five hundred people.. That > ':'',:' is our latest venture in connection1, with* our.•■;;■'social wflrrk." Continuing, the, commandant,, .i; replying to queries, said:. "This is.my third- ;: visit to New Zealand. My first was some .10 ; ' years ago, and. my second.some. 18. months C;.-.; since.- 1 am making my present, hasty/.visit' ;: for two purposes. First, I am here "to •'".in- "/'■ spect all our corps, to visit our own people, and to encourage our officers and soldiers; - and, in the second place, I desire to .maks ;.:. the necessary preparations for the approach-; ing visit of tho general. My father, who US :: in excellent health according to the last-ad-; vices, never worked harder than; now—he. is '•'-. ' a marvel to us all, and expects toisp^end his seventieth birthday in Melbourne, and.a few. weeks afterwards to be in this colony. - It'i'is" ■■■:.' expected the general will arrive at the Bluff :■ on the 7th of March hext_, arid he will visit : ■"'. Ir.yercargill, Dunedin, Christchurch, Welling-,, ton, and Auckland. . I am collecting for the. :' social work of the Army, and giving limelight :. lectures that! have been very successful. £_-.. have given these lectures in the chief centres of population in• Australasia, to, altogether '/: abou,t 40,000 people within the .last;' six,' . weeks. We have something new in the way r : of limelights—Views of our social work in operation, with fourteen cinematograph •':,-. views. We are the only people who make;; our own films, and these show the different -, : ; types of people among whom we work, aril ;• the way we work among them. 'At -Inver- ■",..':. cargill we had a great meeting, and. I ,waa ..' much encouraged by tho condition and stand- ■■ ing of the Army there. The Theatre Royal v was jammed, and a more enthusiastic and ■ sympathetic audience I have never.addressed : in Australia. Judging' from the records;1-I''.'! .should say the standing and work of the Army, jr ■".'•. throughout New Zealand is'distinctly-better:,.', than it was 18 months ago. During the,last ' two years we have done much social work.^ :; We have purchased a new rescue home hereV ' and we have furnished" and opened a large" ; "■; establishment in Christchurch as a prison gite./.'..' home. Then we have bought an extensive -\'--j' property for a new rescue home and a new.. -■'■■:-. maternity home, in Christchurch, and have :■';. fitted them out. Thero is also a new prison 'V gate home in Auckland, and a. new. rescue ■r; homo there, so that even along the lines pf v : social work alone we: have; made more-lrapid '• .';'< strides during the past two years than.in any.\':> previous period. As to our relations,.with :•',; other churches, a large section of the ohorcHes-.;-;? look upon us with the utmost friendliness,* \..; and support our work. To them we are- ii>- .i;,, debted for a great deal of help..- Of:,'course •;■;■. there are others that do.--not.look upon us'in';-.' that way, but our own attitude towards the ; . churches is that of-an advance guard,1 en-;'," deavouring to preach the. Gospel .of Christ,;■; and to .uplift the poor, and also to go'amongst ■;; that particular section of the eonimuni'ty.;that' j'-j; is-not touched by any church. The.'churches,.'■' are indebted to tho Army, I contend,,^for/a-;': largo amount of awakening new spiritual-life;: '■ and force. For instance, the records .show. :!v: that last year in Australia thirty, thbusand'" people knelt at the penitent forms./of^the:. : ; Aimy. A large proportion; of those-r-I-'-db ,'-; not say- the chief portion, but a considerable...'.:".-'. proportion—belonged to other.: churches, , visited our barracks and got blessing, -insjnrarV.-| . tion, and help there; and,we never suggest !. ■' that they should'*join the Army, but send ■;'; .thorn back to their own denominations. 'There-. ,: fore, while the churches give us, I. admit, :' ' valuable assistance, on the other haud -the-;. ■ Army gives them much assistance iv the way ; I have suggested. In connection with our. ■ '('■ social work alone, we have raised the contri-,;''•>■ butions in Australasia, since I have been rhere," : from £4000 to £11,000 par annum, and within .-M the last 12 months have spent £33,000 on' new .-,■;■:■ schemes in connection with tho social work.": -;f
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT18981220.2.31
Bibliographic details
Otago Daily Times, Issue 11301, 20 December 1898, Page 3
Word Count
1,066THE SALVATION ARMY. Otago Daily Times, Issue 11301, 20 December 1898, Page 3
Using This Item
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.