Manaivata Herald. SATURDAY, FEB. 25, 1898. The "Darkest England" Scheme.

Manawatu Herald, 25 February 1893, Page 2

Manaivata Herald. SATURDAY, FEB. 25, 1898. The "Darkest England" Scheme.

I " General " Booth's " Darkest England " scheme seems to have been submitted to a pretty searching in vestigation by the committee ap pointed to inquire into it, and it is so far satisfactory to find from the report to hand that it entirely exonerates the " General " from the charge advanced against him by his detractors that in his management of the scheme he was 'actuated by unworthy motives. The committee pronounce that in their opinion proper accounts have been kept and that the money raised has been honestly spent. The total amount re ceived, it appears, was £216,724, but on the 80th of September last there was a debit balance of £69,646, and this overdraft on providence had to be financed by a mortgage and loans. The Committee do not approve of the unlimited discretion accorded to the " General " in regard to thedisposal of the property acquired for carrying out the scheme. They point out that a deed under date January 80th, 1891, creates a lesjal trust " under which all moneys and properties are now held by ' General Booth,' and will be held after \A< death by any future commander of the Salvation Army." Here the question comes in : " Suppose a • Gener.-il ' proved , unworthy, might he not dispose of the property and convert the proceeds to his own use?" In view of any such contingency arising the committee express the opinion that some workable kind, of check should be available. With reference to the numbers of the " submerged tenth " who have actually been taken in hand under the scheme, 4,000 men have : passed through the "Elevators," of whom 650 left or were discharged, while 1,000 passed through the farm colony. Half that number have gone to situations, 140 have left, 88 were dismissed, and 800 remained on hand. Even

taking into coQsiJeiAtiott the neoes- j sarily large expenses involved in getting the scheme fairly started, these numbers do not appear to bs a very large return for the expenditure of such a sum as £290,000 'Che present year may show more striding results; and we are free, to -admit" that, if. " General Booth " succeeds in doing one-tenth of the good that he declares he expects to do by this scheme, he will have deserved well of the State and of Humanity.