THE SALVATION ARMY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2166, 21 February 1891, Page 3

THE SALVATION ARMY.

General Booth, in a letter to the Times, says, " I deeply regret that misapprehension and some differences of opinion as to the best plan or working his department have led Commissioner Smith to place in my hands his resignation ot" the command with which I entrusted him rather less than a year ago, In view of the serious obligations I have publicly undertaken with regard to the new scheme of social operations, I naturally desire that it should be tried on lines which are entirely in harmony with my own views of what is wisest and best. . , . . Notwithstanding the extreme hostile tone of some of the criticism offered and the great ability displayed in seeking defects in the scheme, we do not regard the result as unsatisfactory. I hope, however, early in January, in a pamphlet, to deal with the suggestions which have been made, as well as to reply to the adverse criticisms offered. The best possible answer will, however, be the establishment of the shelters and workshops, the farm and the colony, and the numbers of the degraded and lost, which by next Christmas we believe we shall have raised from their present abject and hopeless condition," Colonel Cadman has been appointed by the Salvation executive.to fill the place the resignation of Commissioner Smith had left vacant; and a lengthy " official account" of the differences between Mr Smith and his General has been issued. In this General Booth writes that the statement that the funds subscribed have been or are intended to be merged in the general fund of the "Army" is absolutely untrue, and without any foundation. The finances of the Social Beform wing will continue to be kept rigidly separate from the finances of other departments. The amounts subscribed to this particular scheme have been lodged with a separate Social account in the City Bank, " It is preposterous to assert chat the Social Beform wing has been starved." The deed of trust controlling the administration of the tunds placed at the disposal of the Genera! in response to the appeal in " Darkest England," to the pur poses therein set forth, as distinct from the ordinary operations, will be executed and enrolled in a few days. Commissioner Smith, in the .course of a detailed statement made by him to a representative of the Daily Chronicle, says :—"When I was asked to take charge of the Salvation Army social scheme, it was promised that it would be a distinct branch of the Salvation Army, not in any vay to be mixed up with existing Salvation Army departments. But not only was there a tendency to merge the Social Wing in the Salvation Army proper, but direct arrangements were made so to do. Against this I protested, solely on the point of funda-

mental principle; and as no attention was given to my protest, it came to this, that either I must acquiesce in what I felt was against the best interests of the scheme and the pledges given, or retire, much as I was pained at having to retire. If it is a fact that the " Darkest England " scheme is to be entirely separate from the spiritual army so far as finances and efforts are concerned, how can this be accomplished if it is to be worked, eyen partially, by departments in and belonging to the spiritual Salvation Army, and on premises rented by the spiritual Salvation Army ? If the officers of the spiritual Salvation Army do duty for the social scheme, as well as the Army proper, how are salaries, rents, and expenses to be financed proportionately ? There never was any objection to take General Booth's instructions, but there were grave objections raised by me to the receiving of instructions from other and often minor departments. As a matter of fact, I received orders touching the disposal of the social wing staff both from the finance department and the commandant's office, which I was compelled to decline to carry out. It was perfectly clear to me (concludes Mr Smith, referring to his interview with General Booth) that not only " fusion " but " absorption " was determined upon.