SALVATION ARMY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13956, 16 July 1909, Page 3

SALVATION ARMY.

SOCIAL WORK MEETING. . Tlie annual meeting in connection with the social work of the Salvation Army was held by the Timaru corps in the barracks last evening, the Mayor presiding (for. as he mentioned, the seventh year). There were also present Staff Captain Colviu, Revs. J. Olpliert and W. Baumher. and Adjutant Hill opened the meeting. After a devotional openiaig, Mr Oiphert offering prayer, the Mayor made a few remarks on the statistics. He would have liked to see a larger audience, but though there were nob many present, he knew that the people of Timaru sympathised with and appreciated the social work of the Army. He had glanced at their annual reiJort and its astonishing statistics. .Last year tne Army spent £11)2,000 on social work in Australasia, i;2isj a clay, a large sum, that required a great deal of taitli and energy to collect. The .Army must have many great organisers and administrators to manage so large anil scattered a work, some of them -yerJiays more skilful in this resj>ect than their revered chief, General Booth. The clear way the accounts were set out was evidence of their administrative ability. Mr Craigie quoted a law of the more striking figures, and made comments on some of them. Referring to the 3000 women and girls passed through the Rescile Homes, he remarked that there must be something wrong with the country when that was the case, when such a number of people—nearly half the popu-

la lion nf Timaru —were dealt with in these homes, in every great city men and women went down, and it was a grand thing that there was such an organisation to lift them up again. It was, so to speak, Christianity in working clothes, and it was doing best things in the best way. He believed the people of Timaru sympathised with the noble social work of the Army, and they had shown it by liberal giving in self-denial weeks, Zealand giving more per head than any other colony: (Applause.) Mr Craigie concluded by wishing the Army every success.

Staff Captain Colvin (of Christchurch, editor of the 'War Cry;" down for the occasion), followed witji further remarks on the "beneficent network of agencies." Throughout the world the Army had 315 agencies for men alone, and last year (50,000 men of all sorts were received in them. An army of 55,000 women -were received in the homes for them. ''The sha'ine of it!" At their Inebriate Homes no

less than 53 per cent, of those they re-, ceived had been thoroughly cured, through the one sure cure, the grace of our Lord. Jesus Christ. He mentior.etl huge medical institutions in India, where -10.000 Indians were treated in one year. In fifty countries they had 592 institutions, where 108.000 people were annually sheltered and given 274,000 meals. In all there -vere 04,000 ' officers, of whom lo\0K) were wholly dependent on the Arinv for their living, a large number of tlieni working in the social homes. Of these (here were 10 in New Zealand, one of them in Chri.stchnrch with 30 men in it. Tt was a main point in their policy to kooo the men occupied, picking peas, sorting rags, and matmaking Through the Prison Onto Heme alone 250 men passed through in one year. .■> nd that was not the only Home of the sort at Christchurch. Side by side with the Army were others doing blessed work for God and humanity. Then they had a curious thing, "Anti-suicide Bureau," and no less than 1125 men and women had been dears with at these bureaux. Captain Colviu said he'could go on, but it was unnecessary. He added a tew strong remarks about the great distress at Clinstehiu-ch at present, and concluded with a- strong appeal for help, with a direct reference to the present special necessity. Visiting the poor was not congenial work, but the Army would do the work if the rest of' the people <vould help by liberal offerings. The Kev. W. Baumber congratulated the Army on tile large and varied work they ha'l accomplished. The Army had grit, go, and gumption. It needed no httle grit to start some of their enterprises, ami having started them they had go enough to keep them going. And they showed gnmpt.iou in tl/e economical way they spent their money to bettor effect than anybody •-■Jr.'? could, he believed; and not least, because, they also sought to uplift the liillen spiritually, and were succeeding in both directions. He assured them of l h<; sympathy of the other churches, and congratulated them on the splendid example they were setting lo the oilier churches. This he enforced by the nner-iiote of the boy who placed a'li ostrich egg in front of his bantam'..! nest, with the inscription, "l.iiok al this and' do your best."

The Priniitiy. Af r-t Churfh .•lu.ii- r.nil 111.- Ai'in.v ham! furnished iimsicp.i items, iiinl votr-s nf thanks to tiif- rbitors cunehuleil the nieetiu!/.