Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1891. Labour Bereau.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 16 June 1891, Page 2

Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1891. Labour Bereau.

On the first of this month the central office of the Labour Bureau of the Salvation Army was opened at 'CJhristchurch. Officers have been appointed to the special charge of the ijabour Department, and branches I mil be opened in the other large ; towns. Every officer is an agent, and correspondents are also to be appointed in every town. The Army is to be congratulated on having undertaken so useful a lead, and we notice that the Press and public men in Australia are pronounced in the expressions of their approval of the work done. Our Government has been making a good deal of commotion about the way they intend to deal »dth this self-same difficulty, and we believe they see a way to a new department into which many friends can be safely placed. As yet there has been no statement as to whom the credit of such an idea is due. It is singular, however, to note the following facts. Colonel Bailey, of the Salvation Army, first made mention of the Army's intended step about the middle of April, to the Hon W. P. Reeves, whom he interviewed to ascertain if the Government would give any assistance to the scheme. On the 22nd April Colonel Bailey informed a public meeting of the intended step. On the 19th May Colonel Bailey forwarded to the Hon. W. P. Reeves full particulars of the scheme : further particulars were requested, and were at once forwarded. On the first of June the Army issued circulars noting their scheme, and full particulars were given in the War Cry on the third instant. All this time the Army had been 'led to believe that the Government were considering whether they would assist, on the lines the Victorian Government have. On the 6th of June through a telegram in the paper the Army learnt, for the first time, that that the Government "were considering a scheme for the formation of a Department of Industry" and ' ' had made considerable progress with details." It will be worth watching to see whether the Ministry will be honourable enough to acknowledge the assistance they have received from the officers of the Salvation Army.