THE SALVATION ARMY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2647, 18 December 1915, Page 15

THE SALVATION ARMY

_e FUTURE:. DEVELOPMENTS SOME BIG-SCHEMES IN HAND Commissioner Hodder states that the 1 Salvation Army lias decided to launch a scheme for the provision of additional honios for children—-principally for the children of soldiers who have fallen in battle during the .war. Premises have been secured in .Auckland for a Homo for Girls, and other properties in Christchurch are under consideration. For this purpose the Army hopes to be able to establish four additional homes, and increase the size of their Boys' Home at Island Bay, thus affording increased accommodation for at least 200 boys and girls. These would be received into the institutions for whatever allowance may be granted by the Pension Fund for the support of the children—the Army themselves undertaking to find any extra support that may be necessary, and thus see the children through the years of their education. A gentleman in tho north has offered the Army a large piece of land—somewhat over 2000 acres—with a- view to its utilisation as a Training Farm for the sons of fallen soldiers. Here all industries connected with farm work would be taught, so that after two .or three years of suoli training the boy could be drafted off to tako up work on his own account. The scheme goo 6 even beyond this, in that it is intended to sand forth every youth so trained with a sufficient equipment and stock to enable him to start farming should he of course desire to do so. The Army is considering this offer. Extensions are also decided upon in connection with the women's and men's social work of the Array. In the chief centres special officers are being set apart for Police Court and prison work. Adjutant Haywood has recently been appointed in that capacity in Wellington, and they are hoping to establish an industrial institution for men in Wellington, similar to those they have in other cities of the Dominion. These would oporate in conjunction with the Police Court and prison work of the Wellington district. On the women's .side of the social, work they have decided- on a classifica- : ! tion of the women who are placed in their industrial homes, separating the younger from the older. A start in this direction is being made - at Dunedin, where they have secured suitable premises at Anderson's .Bay. The Army's work amongst soldiers is stated _to bo exceedingly satisfactory. Chaplains are conducting work at the institutes at Trentham, Tauherehikau, and Avondale. At Tanherenikau a building is being erected in the new oamp to accommodate about 400 men, with all facilities for the social and spiritual needs of the soldiers. A great deal of approval has centred round the work of Chaplain-Captain Greene at Alexandria, and the Defence. Department has now agreed to the appointment of ail assistant to that work. Chaplain-Captain Garner, who has work-1 cd for the past fifteen months at Tren-1 tham, has been chosen, and will be leaving shortly. In addition, Chaplain-Cap-tain Wells, new at Itangiotu, is appointed for active service and will be leaving in tho near future with ono of the Reinforcements. ' It may' be mentioned that a good number of societies have been glad to utilise the services-of the Army officers in the distribution of comforts and gifts to the wounded men. Sums of money have from time to timo been sent to Captain Greene at Alexandria, to the officers at Malta, and the headquarters in London, for distribution of gifts among the men in the Old Country. The latest illustration of the confidence 6hown in the Army's work is that tho Gisborno Patriotic Society have, we understand, voted £300 for the comforts of the men at Alexandria. The Army has also decided upon the f.stablshing of an institution for the Use of the wounded soldiers at Rotorua, A property has been secured, and is being suitably fitted up. As soon as the "Government Buildings_ are erected_ a large number of men will be coming into this town, and will need quiet, recreation, reading, and temperance refreshments .as. the Army will undertake to supply. In all these efforts which are being put forth, money of course is needed,' and the Army appeals to its friends and supporters to come to their aid in these great and worthy objects.