Discriminate Charity

Southland Times, Issue 11898, 20 November 1891, Page 3

Discriminate Charity

TO THE EDITOR. g IR> The figures which Archdeacon Stocker uses are perfectly astounding— B2 millions of money in 25 years, given in voluntary contributions for the reclaiming of the lapsed masses and in charity. Why, that is nearly four millions annually, and only the share of one section of the Christian church. What must the grand total be when taken into account with all the charities of all the other churches, besides the millions which the State supplies for the sa.ne purpose. If such figures are correct, or even approximately correct, as I suppose they are, coming from Buch a reliable source, the more need, say I, for the trial of General Booth's scheme, for he means to make the poor selfsupporting. When such amounts of money are required annually to help those who cannot help themselves, and needed year after year for the same purpose, one cannot help asking — Is it real help after all ? It ■eems to me something on the same plan as a few of our harbours are managed here— money, money, thrown into the sea and no corresponding good derived therefrom. I'm sure no man knows better than General Booth the amounts spent on charities, for he has made it a study, and it is just this misappropriation of funds lie would like to see stopped. His modest demands are nothing compared to these millions, while his scheme has this to commend it : he believes the evil can be cured, not by this continual give, give, of charity, but by supplying labour, so that the lapsed masses and decent poor may work out their own salvation as it were. It is a herculean task and beset by many difficulties, but General Booth, given facilities, would be able to demonstrate to the world whether it would prove a success or a failure, and any government would be repaid for land given up by learning how such a momentous question could be solved. Had the spirit of General Booth's scheme been abroad when that palatial looking residence known as the Old Men's Home was built I think a far less pretentious building coupled with more comfort and convenience might have been substituted, say in Seaward Bush, with some hundreds of acres of land as grounds, where the unemployed could have got work from time to time as nwd required, and do the. QKttog, tawlog, &c, wWto the cultivation,

of garden ground and orchards would have been pleasant employment for the inmates of the Home ; many of whom could do something *vhich would have helped to pay their bed and board. It was a strange coincidence that on the same day one minister of the Gospel was decrying Gensral Booth's scheme because of the enthusiasm it had inspired among the people in a church, while on the opposite side of the street another minister took for the subject of his discourse General Booth : his work and enthusiasm as an example to be followed. It is a pity that clergymen and others cannot see the good done by a neighbour and be able to wish them God speed, though perhaps differing in small details, because "it is not done by me and my church." And in spite of Mr Stocker's statistics it is pretty well acknowledged by those in the church and out of the church, that these masses of helpless humanity, with whom General Booth especially desires to deal have never been reached by the churches, neither temporarily nor spiritually, so I hope the General may live to see his scheme working successfully. — I am, «fcc, Not a Salvationist. 14th Nov.