THE DRUG QUESTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3774, 13 July 1926, Page 18

THE DRUG QUESTION.

COLONEL KNOTT’S STATEMENT. WELLINGTON, July 7. Recently Mr J. A. Lee (Auckland East) asked the Prime Minister whether in the interests of the young manhood and womanhood of New Zealand he would give a certain Evangelist an opportunity of making good his charges that New Zealand’s boys and girls were members of drug societies, and whether failing the substantiation of the charges the Prime Minister would issue a statement to this effect ? Mr Coates (Prime Minister) in reply, said that Colonel Knott (chief secretary of the Salvation Army in New Zealand) had written to him as follows: 1 presume that I am the person referred to as having made the alleged statements. I respectfully beg to correct the error that has been circulated and that has become the subject of liberal comment in the newspapers I stated that the origin of the allegations against me sprang from an interview that I granted to a reporter in Christchurch for the direct and only purpose of explaining a misunderstanding that had been published concerning certain branches of the Salvation Army’s activities. It had been reported that the Salvation Army was modifying its work for women and children, and that it would be necessary for other societies to do the work. As this was a misrepresentation of the facts I was asked to explain the position. All that the Salvation Army had done to cause the report referred to was the introduction of a system of classification of the older and younger women and children in our various homes in order to give a closer administration and secure better results. This was the one and only reason tor our seeking the assistance of the newspapers. The following morning, to my surprise, I found that th paper in question had dealt with the interview under two separate headings. The sections appeared on different pages of the newspaper, one correcting the misunderstanding with regard to our classification of our and the other appearing with sensational headlines and direct and definite statements which I was represented as having made. Amongst these it is definitely stated that I said that there were secret societies amongst the young people, who were using drugs for immoral purposes. All I said in this connection was that in dealing with drug addicts whom we came across in various branches of onr work some of them had gone so far as to tell us that these were actually the facts. To various inquiries that have been addressed to me since, my reply has been and still is that the Salvation Army, whose purposes and labours are so well known to the people of the Dominion, is to the very best of its ability dealing with the addicts of sin, misfortune, and crime, no matter under what heading their particular failings can be classed, and I presume to say that at no time were we mere trusted and supported in our efforts in this direction.”