Army's Social Work.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13638, 4 July 1908, Page 3 (Supplement)

Army's Social Work.

" I could hardly believe it," said Colonel Hoskiii, chief secretary of the Salvation Ariny in Australasia, when asked how the Dunedin of to-day compared with that of

nine and a-half years ago, when time was elapsed since he was stationed in New Zealand. " Eight from Mosgiel I began to notice changes, and places are built on near the Caversham tunnel whjcli were then never thought of for, building sites." The .Colonel has been an officer for twenty-five years,., 'and for four years was in charge of New Zealand. He arrived in Dunedin yesterday on a tour of inspection of the Army's Dominion forces, and is able to_<say, without undue optimism, that the Army's aclivities here are progressing most satisfactorily. Yesterday afternoon the Dunedin Rescue Home and the Maternity Home were visited. The social work which is the mosti characteristic and effective of the Army organisations, will receive Colonel Hoisk in's special attention. He visits the Girls ? Home at Middlemarch to-morrow for the first time.

Perhaps (lie most important event in this connection will be the opening of the people's palace at Wellington on July 13. The Prime Minister will perform the ceremony. The building is in Cuba Street on a piece of land on which the old Riscue Home stood. It- is a magnificient building, designed for the accommodation of,the middle-class people, and ccet £ll,000, exclusive of the furnishing, which cost £2,000. There has been a similar building in Auckland on a small (scale/ but the People's Palace is . practically a new departure as far as New Zealand is concerned.' It is expected that it will be much used by the coun'ry people. Then there is the Home for Inebriates at Pakatoa. Island. The island is leased from Mr, Bell, and was at one time rued as a summer resort. It is an ideal, place for for the purposes- of the home, being within about, four hours' journey of Auckland by s'cain launch, and sufficiently isolated. . " There are no pubs there," said the Colonel, "and it a moment of weakness a, man cannot go away and get tight." At present thirty inmates are accommoda'ed, and, so far as can -be judged, the venture is likely to be succfisrsifnl, but it is rather early to speak with confidence. A few do not appear to improve- a great deal, but the majority do.

: Paka'qa Island is for men only, but Hie Army may. at some future date, consider the advisability of establishing an inebriates' home for women. This, however, and the establishment of boys' homes, similar to tlie Girls' Homo at Middlemarch, may not be accomplished for some time.

The Colonel said that a great many men who had no profession of religion contributed liberally to the Army's schemes of social Asked why, the Colonel said; lie thought it must be because they found, on- making, inves'igation tl'.i.t practical work was: being done. No other body attempted "things oh such a large scale 'as the Army. and Avhat made their work so successful was that they had people who gave themselves entirely up to it. No other body, except the 1 Roman Catholic Church (so far as Australia was concerned,, at any rate), did a. great; deal in the way of social work. • Men of the class jris' referred to, and the churches, and, in fact, all classes in New Zealand,, had been most generous to the Army. "And," paid the Colonel, "the Army value their liberality, and will never disappoint them, but will spend their money in (lie bst interes+s bf those whom it was intended to benefit: and if we open a boys' home we hope the people will help us as liberally as they did in the establishment of the girls'." Speaking of the commercial aspects of country. Colonel Hoskin said there was not the prosperity in any part of AustraJia. that there is in New Zealand. In Western Australia things were very dull. : . . J

Commissioner M.'Kie, Army frineds will be sorry to hear, has not b°en very well for the last nine or ten months, h" 1 fe now improving, but is yet far from well.