SALTATION ARMY SOCIAL WORK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13656, 27 July 1906, Page 6

SALTATION ARMY SOCIAL WORK.

TO THK EDITOR. SiR,-In your issue of the 10th there appears a lengthy account of the Salvation Armv Social "Work in the Commonwealth and New Zealand. I would like wiih your permission to make a 'few remarks on that report, so far as it refers to t-hp Prison Gate Brigade in New South Wales. As I have an intimate knowledge of tho insido of the Now South Wales prison, and had every opportunity of seeing and hearing what was going on, even about the gates, I may say honestly that that is the first I have known of the Salvation Army doing that work. lam a pretty keen observer, and the only time that I happened to sec the Salvation Army uniform cither about or insido tho prison was on a party of visitors. Hut there is an organisation doing splendid work in that State—tho Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society, with headquarters in Sydney, while in every town where there is a prison of any size a local committee is appointed, which lias a paid agent carrying out the work under tho committee's supervision, the governor or gaoler, as tho case may be, being ono of tho committee. The money needed to carry out the work is raised locally, and is assisted by a grant from the Prison Department. I write from memory, hut I think lam correct. All ihc prison officials assist in a. very liberal manner. Those agents see the prisoner, ff he requires assistance, before being discharged, and get all tho necessary information ns to procuring suittable work and advancing money for tools, blankets, ele. They meet the prisoner at the gale, lake him in hand, and assist him in getting on his feet. Of course, there is another class of prisoner who will not bo assisted by iinvpiio. The head office is in Sydney in-charge of an officer from the comptroller's office, who is paid by the Prison Department. The two agents are also paid from the same source. Mr and Mrs G are well known to the writer. The first-named is an old prison official, who looks after tho interests of the men discharged; his wife, acting similarly, regarding the females. That societv is doing a great work. Ono instance. I well remember, of an old man—a plouuhman from Otago—who got into trouble. He put himself, on my advice, in the hands of that society. I heard afterwards that he had got work as a gardener at. the house of ono of the Supreme Court judges. Then there are agents whose business it is to visit iho Police Court only, and advise tho first offenders who are in trouble, and assist them bv seeing their employers, arranging about bail, advising them how to plead, and assisting them generally. Those agents are well up in Police Court business, and arc able to advise. Many of those unfortunates have been able to return to their, homes and employment, through the intercession of those agcnls. who are doing a useful work. What I have written refers to prisons in the country. There mav bo an orsanised Prison Gate at the. Sydney Gaol, but while I was in the service outside of Sydney I never saw or knew of any social work performed by the Salvation Avmy in connection with the Now South Wales prisons—l am, etc.. Commonwealth.