GENERAL BOOTH.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2272, 27 October 1891, Page 4

GENERAL BOOTH.

h ■ ; New Plymouth, Oct. 23. General Booth arrived by steamer this morning from Auckland,and left by express traiqfoivWeniiigton. He was received at the railway station by the mayor and about 200 people. He said he hoped to live to see his social reforms carried ont. Wellington, Oct. 25. Generid Booth arrived by the late train in Wellington on Friday night. The attendance of the general public numbered nearly 3000. At 7 o’clock a procession, numbering about 700 Salvationists, x including those who had come from Nelson, Marlborough and the country districts, , moved towards the. Opera House; headed by the Army band. The General’s carriage was in the centre of the and he stood bareheaded - bowing • to ;the vast crowds* who lined both sides of the streets along the route. One of the features of the procession was a lifeboat and raft filled with lasses, representing the ‘rescue ; work carried out by the army. Coloured lights were displayed'tat intervals, which with the torchlights carried by> the soldiers rendered the spectacle a very imposing one. In the main street lines of flags were hung, and several of the principal buildipgs also displayed flags. All along the route cheers were given for the General. On arrival at the Opera House the procession broke up and he entered the theatre, where a : formal welcome is taking place. The General comes to this colony not to receive money but to give it. After deducting his travelling expenses the whole of the profits are given to the general fund of the Army in New Zealand. General Booth addressed , a large meeting 5 in the Opera House on Sunday night, the Mayor presided. On rising to speak General Booth was greeted;with prolonged; cheers, and it was some time before the enthusiasm of the audience subsided;; He occupied the platform for about an hour, and delivered a most interesting address bn the work of the Salvation Army. He complained greatly of misrepresentation in connection with the organisation of which he was the head, and said that no man could . properly understand the Salvation Army till he came to the penitent form and donned the soldier’s jersey. He was glad to say, however, that the clouds of misrepresentation were gradually rolling away. In a passing allusion to his colonisation scheme he referred to the statement of some, of the leaders of the labour party in New South Wales, that they believed that he was in a conspiracy with the English capitalists to bring out paupers'to the colony, and he observed that the only conspiracy he was in was to get money out of capitalists’ pocket in order to spend it on the working men.