LAW UNTO THEMSELVES

NZ Truth, Issue 1180, 12 July 1928, Page 7

LAW UNTO THEMSELVES

■ ■- — » - ■ , ; Salvation Army's Curious Policy In Case of Home ■".■■■ : (Prom, "N.Z. Truth's" Special Commissioner.) ' , ~ In vievt of further investigations concerning the movements of ' Field Home Within the past four weeks, and the extraordinary pose of the Minister of Justice, "N.Z. Truth" commends to his keeping the title of Arch-shuffler and Extra Plenipotentiary to the most Subtle Sceptre of Political Evasion, well knowing that his charter is not likely to be usurped.

DID he deliberately endeavor to camouflage the situation when Labor Member J. A. Lee broached the matter m the House of Representatives last week? And, If he did, what underlies the palpable system of equivocation surrounding Home and his appointments? Pour weeks ago. .the reputation of Home was publiply questioned by what purported to be : a veritable whirlwind of suspicion, incorporating the odium of unnatural acts against, the patients of Roto Roa Island,. and when Minister Rolleston was interviewed, he declined to make any observations on the situation, except to say that his conscience was perfectly easy! ' The attitude of the Wellington Salvation Army executive is none too comforting, either, and their assumed air .of nonchalance is not at all m keeping with the gravity of the situation., z . ■ ' When John A. Lee, M.P., confronted the Minister of Justice ; with the declarations made by "Truth" within the last three,. .^ weeks, Rolleston delivered himself of a chain of (generalities which really meant nothing and were not m any . way calculated to relieve public anxiety. .. He was asked whether Home had been hastily removed from the island at the ultimatum of Magistrate Hunt, and, if that were so, what action did the Justice Department intend taking, particularly m relation to Home's appointment to a boy's home at Putaruru? . But the Minister could, not give— or refrained from making— a definite reply. .--' "" ■ ' _ ; He hedged and. shuffled when Lee, asked the question, inferred that he knew practically nothing' of It, and • . . ' ■ that as the Salvation Army was the key factor m the administration of Roto Roas the superintendence of inebriates there concerned the Army alone! Moreover; whether or not Major Home was guilty of perversion during his term of office on the island, it is, seemingly, a matter of no moment to the Justice Department whether Home be" placed m charge of boys. That, says the Minister, must be decided by the internal organization of the Army itself. ■ What exactly lies behind this dis r turbing condition of things? Has definite pressure been brought to bear 'in the hope that the whole unsavory business Will soon be forgotten? - ... ;„....;. „. :. :. -■■'■-.. Or is this surprising stubbornness and indecision on the part of the Minister: merely an exhibition of personal vanity— an earnest of the power which Ministers may, wield? ; , Ignorance cannot be the. well of inspiration behind Rollegton's fount of peculiar conduct, for he ; must have been aware that two, of Auckland's more capable and experienced criminal investigators have been engaged m prosecuting inquiries. ■/._■•; There is/abundant foundation for saying that three weeks ago the ' Minister handed certain documents „ to the police authorities m Wei.-/ U lington ; yet, for some inscrutable reason, he refused to outline the , true position when "Triith" approached him, and, stranger still, he side-stepped the issue when Lee brought the matter up m the House. . Rolleston led '|Truth" to believe that he never had. seen the- letter and report which Magistrate Hunt, who Is chairman of the visiting committee on the Island, forwarded to the Minister some weeks ago. .■'■'■ Did these documents never, reach the Minister? And, if they did, what lies behind his continued refusal squarely to meet the situation? . : Conversely, if it failed to reach him, why have two' of Auckland's experienced detectives been assigned to investigate the position, despite Rolleston's declaration that the power ■of deciding what shall happen to Home is vested m the authority of the Salvation Army executive, which alone, is 'supposed to be responsible? ■ 'Either the Salvation Army executive has deliberately withheld pie true.reason for Home's transfer to Putaruru or else the Justice Department unwisely considered it impolitic to interfere with the Army's administration of Roto Roa Island. A letter received from an exSalvationist reader^ of "Truth" succinctly weighs the situation, on which the : appended quotations focus a good ,deal-oHt>gical thought. \ It says: "I have : read with great interest your articles dealing with Major Home, of the Salvation Army — read probably with deeper interest than many, being myself an ex-Salva-tionist. - '^Having been so intimately connected with the organization, my - viewpoint is, perhaps, a little dif-/ ferent from that of the general -^-public. ". . . Though I have severed my connection with the Salvation Army because^L'found I could riot conscientiously agree with them on many points, I still admire their ideals and the: purpose for whioh it was created,

Peculiar Attitude

The True Reason

and more than admire the wonderful •/ men and women m their ranks. ". . . One of the greatest, faults of this organization is its ultra-exclusive- ' ! ness. . .■ . . they are a great self j governing army, resent any criticism whatsoever, and claim the right to be a law unto themselves. ; : ■ "This is all very well when dealing with errors of administration on the breaking of rules and regulations drawn up ■by themselves, and separate from the laws of the country. "But when there is a suspicion that the country's lawa have been broken, the aspect of the case changes com- > pletely. "There are many who "will Bay: • 'Better let the whole matter drop, it isn't nice,' but what about. another case that still has to be threshed out? "I do not think THAT will be either dropped or hushed up, yet both are on, the. same plane and both of the same . calling. . "In the days of ancient Israel, there we're a-; miscellany of lawsS laid down for t the" ? guldance of the people. We, who call ourselves Christians!, profess „ to.be guided by those laws and are en- ; joined to obey ... "Christ Himself bbeyeid' the laws of his 'country besides those of His Father! Then, surely, a g/eat religious organization which is trying to teach : the people right Jiving should much more strictly abide by these laws, and welcome Justice and truth? "I shall no doubt be branded as disloyal arid a backslider for daring bo freely ... to - voice my opinion, but free speech arid thought are privileges we, are all entitled to. ' "The muzzling of such does much v harm and encourages misunderstanding." • .-.;■■ , The- cogency of ■ these . arguments ' be s gainsaid. ~1 ■-..■.,.■:...._: ,-',., v and Will undoubtedly appeal to the unbiased, yet not . altogether disinterested,- readers who followed the sequence of disclosures which have appeared m these columns during the past four weeks. No man or woman who has read ;. "Truth's" series of articles concerning Major* Home will sincerely acknowr ..{ ledge disinterestedness' lntfhe matter. ; If, as the member for Auckland jEast "y pointed out toHtie Minister; the. Justice X Department asserts that what "trans- '-' spires on the island, is not the country's concern, and that a person" allegedly considered unfit to manage a man's institution should be deemed, fit. to oversee a boy's home, where will it end? ■If the imputations , „with. which v Home's character has lately been label- ' led are" at all well-founded, the poasi- .. bilities for, evil among the boys of C Williams' Home, Putaruru, are almost;boundless, yet. we find the Minister off: Justice placidly assuring everyone thatS; there is • nothing : ln it because he hadf : ; heard nothing about it, and, anyway,; the subject was one within the bounds^ of Salvation Army jurisdiction. ■-'•*':'"■' In the course of an interview. Colonel- : Simpson attempted -to draw the herring of sympathy; across, the track of clear reasoning, suggesting' his disap- -. : pointment with "Truth" for demanding; a frank disclosure of the circumstances: enclosing Home's retrenchment and ln->> ferring that "Truth" thereby showeda lack of sympathy , towards . the Sal-;, vation Army movement. . There can be no question of "Truth's" sympathetic ' attitude to—; . wards any religious body which has a main objective m more closely cementIng the scattered peoples of civilization. We refute the .implication thatour demands for ; X a full inquiry are/ indicative of sple.en or a flair for ' sen-; sationalism. = . , So long as nat-t ' iohal laws i are not ■■'.* transgressed, the constitution of laws ■ governing the internal management of the Salvation Army is solely the concern of the Army executive. But as soon as one single unit of that organization out- steps the pro- . vision of -national welfare and safe- , guard, so must the country's legislation. ' take immediate precedence. If financial support ■- may be taken as definite proof of sympathy^ it may not be Indiscreet to observe that for a number of years the Salvation Army has received a substantial donation from the directorate of this paper. Was the real reason for Simpson's raising the question of" "sympathy" merely an adroit way of dissembling an expression of resentment that this paper had the temerity to questiori one single action of • the Salvation Army authority? Between them, the Army and the Justice Department have raised a mbßt unwholesome atmosphere of suspicion that .all is not well concerning the question of Home's hasty transfer, but ■ whatever the circumstances, may i be,: every single scrap of Information must be winnowed and sifted till the true : facts ate elicited, and the iriind of thepublic is completely^ satisfied. And untij that has bee,n aocom-V plished, ''truth" will continue to flaggelfate those immediately concerned, until they are stung into action. > The Minister owes, it to the public, as well aa his own ■personal reputation,' :■ to see: that concentrated action is fo- ■ cused ■ on^the , question— and with as little delam*3: v 'lßtbjb^i^nsurate wltfc'--publio flofew. ' r