Why Was Salvation Army Seandal Hushed up?

NZ Truth, Issue 1177, 21 June 1928, Page 1

Why Was Salvation Army Scandal Hushed up?

iiiiimiimiiiinmiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiim_immimiiiimiiiiimiiiiiiiiiuimiiiiitimiimmimmiimiiimiiii .mmmmimimtimmiuilmriimiiiiiiiiimiimmiimmiiiiiimiiiiiumiiimi. rimmi m iiiiiiiii FURTHERMORE, m the light of disclosures subsequent to this m.- . quiry, "N.Z. Truth" demands from the Salvation Army authbrities an official intimation regarding the future activities of. Major Home and the nature of his work now that he has been transferred. This information is imperative and due to the' general public, which has Had such a large financial say m the maintenance of Roto Roa Island. On" December 16, 1927, a special' committee'appointed.by the Minister for Justice sat to inquire into, numerous serious allegations, brought.: by. inmates .of. Roto .Roa Island against Major W. Home. 'At"that".time no accusation-was. made that this official was. guilty of • the crime for which he-has now been so summarily dismissed from his position ■—a. perverted sexual "complex. • . After hearing a. /tremendous amppnt: 'dp-je-Vi^feWce; wtf icti' Mleged tKtir-Homo' war, "unfitted to hold his position because of his treatment of the inmates, the committee found that .certain reforms were essential and some of their., recommendations m this respect, were given effect'to. ...." '*.' ' But Major -Home' was not found to be unfitted-.for his position:

GRAVE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST MAJOR HOME , '•■ '":'■ ' -J J -* ■ '-^'"-i* •■. '■.■'■': .■-.*.:■•■■ Startling Story of Religious Officer's Love Letters To Male^lnmate of Ineb^ates' H INEXPLICABLE RETIM^ iljiszsiis : " i:;i; -=»s=s !:!:::!:::::::;::!::!:::ii:!:!:::::::!;:i;!::::;:!!:::z:|| || ' : (From* "N.Z. Truth's" Special. Commissioner.) ■• . : / || II SENSATIONAL RUMORS are current with r egard to the dramatically sudden removal, from his position j| II as officer-in-charge of Roto Roa Island, of Major \V. Home, of the Salvation Army. At an inquiry held m || |! camera, Major Home denied that he was guilty of startling criminal allegations levelled against him by an m- ,|| II mate, Roy Simpson. , y H Whatever the reasons actuating the Minister, this of ficer should ( haye been placed upon his trial m a court |j II of justice and given an opportunity of establishing his innocence. If he were guilty m the eyes of a jury, then || he was not entitled to be turned loose, a hidden menace to the .community ! II

Some months elapsed, however, and on Sunday, May 20, the visiting committee, a body officially representing the Justice Department, the personnel of which is >Magistrate Hunt (chair:, man), Messrs. A. J. Stallworthy and Butler,, together with .the medical officer, Dr. Murray, visited the island. As .the committee w.as on the point o,f departure from the island, an ' m. * mate, Roy Simpson, aged 26, handed Magistrate Hunt two letters. On the voyage back to the city, Magistrate. Hunt and his colleagues, •<-*. '■■■•■■' J-J':-t ---'••'■ '*. : - .*•''" - '';-' *"■ Minister Advised after' consideration of the contents cf these communications, came to the decision that the writer; of them was a seixual pervert. '•''"' The letters, apparently, were written by Major "Home to 'Simpson and they were couched m most affectionate language, many terms of endearment being used by the writer. The description given "Truth" by one who perused them was that they were, m effect, love letters. The committee's ultimate decision was that Major Home must be immediately removed from his position. With this end m view, the Salvation Army authorities ,were at once advised of the dis- • coyery that had been made. The committee delivered an ultimatum. Home must be removed at once, Magistrate Hunt announced, or it would devolve . upon him to take other action to , carVy into effect the committee^ decision. The Salvation Army chiefs then promptly relieved Home of his duties and removed him from the island. Meanwhile,' Magistrate Hunt ' advised the Justice Department of all details of the affair and the action taken; We come now to May 25. Accompanied by A. J. Stallworthy, a member of the visiting committee, the Salvation Army chiefs proceeded to Roto Roa Island and there held an inquiry into the charges. "Truth" ,. has been given an outline of the facts bearing; on the allegations, by one who. was present. Inmate 's Charges ' In his . evidence, Simpson alleged that, while he was m hospital after an operation for appendicitis, Major Home wrote him — almost daily-— simi. , lar letters tp those the witness had handed to Magistrate .Hunt. He. described one occasion when, he alleged, Major Home had caught hold of him and disarranged his clothing. According to Simpson, Honie was always, seeking his company ] and he could not get away from him. • It might be mentioned that Simpson held the position of c%ok on the island. Evidence was given by two other inmates, Murray, a chemist, and Oliphant, a barrister, that Simpson had confided the whole business to them. It was on their advice that he. had handed the correspondence to Magistrate Hunt. Major Home denied that there was any iperverted sexual motive underlying his correspondence with Simpson. , He stated that he, had a very affectionate regard for this inmate, with whom he was on particularly friendly^ terms. " He had written him affectionately couched letters, but he considered them to he perfectly all , right, ahd sent with the object of "cheering the man up" while he was m -hospital. : Simpson, he stated,. had said to him IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIU

as he (Home) was leaving the hospital: "I will be very lonely here* after you go back, major; will .you write me every day?" Major Home admitted th.it,. his use of endearing terms, m .this correspondr ence might be construed as an, indiscretion. . . ' '•■.." This domestic committee inquiry, confirmed, tlie- action, already 'taken in' removing Home. *. - „-.'■'J ' : ' • Evidently, m the . opinion of tne Minister .for Justice and the chiefs of the Salvation. Army,, there the jrnatt'er,. ended. . Vy" -Jy.^.-J-JJ- , :jX'^XJ':X -<J.'JX ' ' The. Army ,tften'* ; rnti*^atwv"to'-th^ ' public -through the columns of the '. daily press that another .--position-.* would be found for Major Home' ip Wellington.* As a matter of fact, the actual.message sent out all over New. Zealand by

the Press Association is important. "It states: , ' „'* _ ..'■' . " '.■..'* "At the recent inquiry, into affairs atRoto! Roa Island Home/fpt\lnebriates, it was alleged thaV.Mi'jof "Hdme)- 'o_n'--cer-in-charge of the institution,'* Wail not fitted' for- his -positidny .—.--.-. ■-. "The; commission, -which^considered the complaints -of the' inmates of ; * tlie liome, however, . disregarded . this.. sus.r, gestipri; 'but recommended -various reforms, which have since been actedupon'. : :.'.*'■•'•', •',..: '. . „_j I.'. "The Salvation Army at. Auckland now jadvise that Major Home-has -had. a changi of ap'ppintment : and will he going to Wellingtpji m; the meantime! ' "A! new manager, has been appoihted;' it was stated, but^his name is riot yet available for publication. "Major Home-is at present m Auck; land arid Adjutant Ride, is* temporarily jin charge ; of Roto JRoa island." ' When the facts ..came, into,. "Truth's*' I possessicvh, * iiri.riiedia.te -steps - were

taken to verify the astounding statements that,, hot^only had the Minister ; couijtenanc'ed tlie syrrimary. removal of this, officer • charged- with,, a grave criminal,. offence, without ... giving him any ,l opportunity of proving his. inno.cence in' a . Court of justice, but. having beeri-a' party, to . the. .travesty "upon , British constitutional., ftnv, he then • threw ,th'e - cloak' .'ofc suppression, over all t|h~e details; leaving -a section' of the public at. 'tjie," mercy.*, of "an alleged sexual p.erVjert. • v ■■.--■ : The following were put to/Magistrate^^Hiiiitv .^chairman 'Jptl; the. vMhg^c&nimW • .' .'.*.' (.1) -J?''. it. corr-ec-t .that Major 'Home jWas^'found^jahflj to^ administer -the inebriates' home at >Roto.. :Roa?/ J.JJ (2) 'ls : it, not. a -fact 'that -when . yofu, left ;th r e .island after a visit of inspection,, two' letters we're handri r 1 1 1 ii 1 1 1 1 1 im n 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ii 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ij j 1 1 1 ft m 1 1 1 n 1 1 1 ii 1 1 1 1 1 1 > ) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 nll f ii- iii 1 1 1 >iiiijll ii 1 1 ii 1 1 1

jyed.jtp^xpu by an.;inmate and these y documents- pr'oye'd .conclusively •V; that)' _ni the* Ppin jonsoftypursejf and •-;.'your'c'ollea'guei_-',-, "the • .Waiter of the letters ; wast :;orris,.,hftmossxui»l? - •- (3) - That *m • consequence, -th'e inf or■rnktion was forwarded. jto ; the Minister *f bi* *" Justice*. " and' Hobrie --was -removed -from'the'risiarid-?-'— - - "(4) Is • it not. correct that had the Solvation VArmy, authorities hot ac•cepted"*.. the ._ ultiriiatjiiji .. delivered to them to the effect tliat Home must be removed, "policies kction- was -intended ? : (5) Is it advisabie that Home, should be at largre jto 'accept- a: position vwhe.re Vie *may HaTo ah opportunity to indulge the vice- : the *-. committee believes obsesses him? "y . ,' (6) Ha,s. Hqrne ..-received, special consideration'at the h^nds'of tlje authorities m order to shield the Salvation iArmy m. its administration of Rotoj ■Rpalsiand-Home for' lnebriates ?-

Magistrate Hunt's reply to these queries' was that certain communications were handed to 'him by one of the inmates as he was leaving the island. Having read those letters, he . immediately .sent them on to the Justice. Department, having i informed the. Salvation Army chiefs . _' that Home must be removed at once from. Roto Roa; failing such.. action, it'? would devolve upon him, as chairman, to take immediate -steps to have him removed. J*- %i -J -y- -■■•;■-■■■*■-;••■■•-• ■■y . y* :T . Simpson's ßelease 'is •"•'*•. ■ .' * The Salvation Army authorities, Magistrate Hunt' said, promptly removed Home and later an, inquiry was held, at. which A. J. Stallworthy was present. M6re ; than^ this, Magistrate Hunt told "Truth," he was unable to say. So the position- stands to-day. Roy Simpson, who comes of a well-known aha . respected Christchurch family, was released from the island at once. Major Home has been semi-secretly branded by the Minister for Justice as a sexual -pervert; yet he has-^n the published word of the Salvation Army authorities — been found another position m Wellington. What position has this officer been given? Before taking over Roto Roa Island Home for Inebriates; Major Home, according to his statements to inmates, was m - charge of the Eltham Boys' Orphanage. - If this man is innocent — and he emphatically proclaimed that he was — then; his whole career m the religious organization of which he is an important.' part, has been, irrevocably blasted". '*••.* - • ■ Why ..the ■ necessity for this extra-,ordift_u--yV: __ecrecy when a scandal is 'unearthed m a public institution? Though . the Salvation Army owns Roto Roa, it was public subscription of funds that enabled this organization to secure Ownership. __ The Salvation Army administers this institution, which is subsidized by the Government. There is a direct responsibility upon Unsavory Scandal the Justice Department to see that the Institution is properly controlled. * ■;' Does the explanation for the Minister's failure to give Home a . ; fair trial, before' a jury, of his : fellow men, lie m the Government's : unwillingness to run foul of the : Salvation Army? The Salvation Army chiefs . would naturally wish to hush up any scandal surrounding their administration of a public institution. ' This can readily be understood. The Minister owes his first duty, m the circumstances; to' the - public and to Major Home. Is it for reasons. of economy that, the Government has shown, through its Minister for Justice, so much consideration for the feelings of the Salvation Army authorities at the expense of the inmates of Roto Roa institution, the public and the man virtually found guilty without* a proper.. trial? > : There is this amount of evidence to support the' economic assumption— the cost to the Government per man is £1 pcr *„w eek on fhe island, while it is £2 per man per week m Mount Eden! gabJK * \< ' '.■"* .. ■ ' I It cannot be gainsaid that, if this inebrlattes'. honie were not m existence, the of : the . inmates would s'ptend the greater portion of their time |m Mount Eden gab 14— at a cost to ipiiiiiiiiiiiiipiiiiiiiiiiim

niiiliiHiiliiiiiiiiiiiiririiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiimiiliiiMiiiiiraiimiiiMicniiiimiiimnlimiillimjimpßii.liMiir niinmiiniiiimniiiinmii iiiniiinimniini] .mniiimiimniiimmiiiiiiniiimmiomimminTOiimi the Government of £2 per man per Week! This may, or .may not, be the reason, but the Minister most certainly owes the public an explanation. It will then be a question for the public to decide whether the action taken has been, justified. What has transpired simply goes to emphasize the imperative . need for more intimate Government supervision over the affairs, of such public institutions .as the, Salvation Army's Roto Roa Home f or Ine.briates. There has been a great deal of unrest, among the. inmates*, on the island and" considerable anxiety,* on ;the ; pg.rt of relatives and < other s t inter es.ted in -the hpmfe, which is' not lik'eiy to jbe allayed by: sensational rumors' * distorted, ,put (Of all semblance of. the actual truth. If Major Home is, as; ..hg. states; ; V himself, inhbcent^dfy -|h«5;.. ■graA^li charge., f >J^' :^ ' fear Sy. standing -his trials as , any ordinary ;:c|tizein would' undoubted- >; ly be compelled to do.. . . This hiish-hush policy does. _fa.r moreserious harm m the life of New Zealanders than straightforward, honest, fearless action, irrespective 6t ; ,the. consequences to any person or body. iMiiiiiHiititMiiiimimimiifuiuMiiiiiHMiHiiiiitniiimtfTmnmmiNftiiHiimiinifmimtmmNniiffiimti iniiimiiHiitiimttliiiHiimiitiiimiiiithniiititimuitnnniuiimiiiiimmnnrmimnmiißnmrmnntfini