THE SALVATION ARMY. RECEPTION OF COMMANDANT BOOTH.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 303, 29 September 1888, Page 6

THE SALVATION ARMY. RECEPTION OFO F COM MAN DANT BOOTH.

,1 ' 1 - ' ■ ' ''' Auckland, September 25/ Among the passengers wtio arrived by tKc direct steamer [Doric from London yesterday afternoon was Commandant H. Hf. Booth, third son of .General Boofch, the founder of the Salvation Aimy. Tho Doric arrived alongside the wharf shortly after five o'clock, when Colonel Taylor, of the local branch of the Salvation Army, went on board and welcomed tho Commandant and his secretary — Staff-Captain Allen —to New Zealand. The three officers, on coming ashore, drove oil quietly to tho rosidonce of Sir William Vox in Symonds-Btrcet,as Commandant Booth is to be Sir William s guest during 1 his stay in Auckland. Commandant Boofch is quite a young man and evidently in a rather delicate state ot health. Indeed, it was mainly witli the idea of - bettering this that he undertook tho sea voyage to New Zealand. S tuftCaptain Allen, the Commandant's secrctaiy, is also a young man, but in tno best ot health and strength. It had been decided by the local Army to givo Mr Booth a puolie reception. A public tea was held at the Barracks, Albeitstreet, at six o'clock, to which a very large number of soldiers satdown. After the tables had been cleared, a march out took place, there being an unusually large attendance. Tho soldiers returned to the banack& at half-past seven, by which time the large hall was almost packed. Among tho vibitors on tho platiorm wore Mr D. Goldie, M.H.R., Rev. R. Bavin, Mobsis Ci&tle> and S. .Parker. The members ot the Aluori contingent wcto al&o conspicuous among the uniforms on the gallery. The meeting commenced with a rousing hymn, and almost immediately attorwaidb Commandant Booth and Stail - Captain Allen, accompanied by Colonel Taylor and Captain Lovelock, cnteied the hall, and received the usual saluto horn the Auckland corps. Another hymn was sung, and after Colonel Taylor hud engaged in prayer, Commandant Booth and Staff - Captain Allen sting a* a duel " Nothing in My Hand I Bring, 1 the Ci mmandant. accompanying on a concertina. I'iayer was then led by Commandant booth, and atter Colonel Tayloi had bung the solo, " Bought by the Biood," the audience joining in the chorus, he proceeded to addieos the meeting. The Commandant, in coming forward, was vigorously applauded. He wiid that ho had been ordered away by General Booth to take re-t, and he was very thankiul now to be oil ship. He was \eryglad to meet his colonial comrades, and so would General Booth when he came out. He would have been out by now if it had nob been for the continued illness of Mrs Booth. When he landed, he was not aware that lie had to speak of the advance of the Army, but ho would do his best. It was a common opinion that General Booth was a biokendown parson. Nothing of the kind, as during his term as Wesleyan evangelist ho had been very successful, having been the means of saving 10,000 souls. A series ot evangelistic services in the Isle of Guernsey led to his work in the East End of London, where, amidst the multitude of people who were going on to ruin with scarcely any to help them, not one in a thousand attending a. place of woiship, the Salvation Army started. He then very graphically went on to describe the progress the Army had made, recounting the obstructions it had met with, its triumphs, and went into tne details of the good work it had done. As an instance of the great progress made he spoke of the Alexandra Palaco Demonstrat'on this year on the occasion of the anniversary of tho Army, when 40,000 Salvationists marched past the General, the time taken in the march past being an hour and a-half. Next year he expected they would take the Crystal Palace, and have from 60,000 to 80,000 people present. They had touched at many places coming out, but at only one — the little island of Tenet iffe — were they not received 'by Salvationists. With a few words of encouragement to tho local soldiers Mr Booth concluded his address, which had been listened to with rapt attention by the large audience that crowded the hall. Commandant Booth and Staff - Captain Allen then engaged in prayer, after which the Benediction by the former concluded the meeting. It was announced that there would be a "Conference" at three o'clock to-day at the barracks, and a public meeting in the evening at half-past seven, when tho Commandant would again address them.