THE SALVATION ARMY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2359, 21 May 1892, Page 2

THE SALVATION ARMY.

' TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In your issue of the 17th inst. a j local appeared having reference to the J Salvation Army last Saturday a veiling i drawing such an " immense cr nvd " that tha footpath became so thronged that it was scarcely possible for people to pass along ; that, the crowd being so great, customers were prevented from entering Mr J. W. Miles's shop; and that it was wrong for the Army officers to injure anyone's business in that way. As a rule the Salvation Army does not reply to ac- ■ cusations of daily papers, but, as the local is a gross exaggeration, and tending to mislead the public mind, not only towards the Army, but to Mr Miles and the I "local police," it is my duty to make an exception on this occasion. Immediately your paper was issued on Tuesday Mr H. Miles waited upon me at my residence and asked me if I had seen the Leader. I said " Yes," and, like numbers of others, thought that Mr Miles had complained about the Army; but I was rather surprised to hud that Mr Miles knew nothing j about the matter—that no complaint had been made by him —and, further, like me, thought the local was quite uncalled for ; that there was no immense crowd; that his business was not hindered ; and this gentleman assured me that he was not annoyed in any way by the Army. have also, by post, received a written communication from Mr J. W. Miles, Timaru, referring to your local. I think, therefore, that it is only just on my part to inform the public of these facts, as several, like me, have thought that the complaint came from this gentleman ; and, further, the Silvatiou Army would never stop in front any of business place for the purpose of annoying and injuring a business like what you refer to. I think that those who were present on Saturday night will ngrea with me that the local police were also unjustly referred to in your local, for not only were they present, but did their duty, and kept the thoroughfare clear for p.is.-:ers-by, and I do not think they want the " hint " to do their duty in this matter. I might say, in closing, that I am sorry to have to make this reply, but make it because I think the local was not only unfair and unjust, but uncalled for in every way.— I am, etc., J.vs. Harlow, Captain S.A. Tonuika, May 18.

j [On last S iturday evening we saw with our own eye; the Salvation Army in, 1 front of Mr J. W. Miles's shop singingVhymns, The space under the verandah' was thronged. We called the attention iof a neighbor to it, and he said it was well, not right to block a man’s j door on a busy night like that. Half way between that and the postofllce we j met the polioo, and when we returned i the throng under the verandah had I thinned, Captain Marlow says “ the ! polige did their duty, and kept the I thoroughfare clear,” Just so. This proves the accuracy of our statement. They had cleared it before we had returned from the postofflee. Captain Harlow' says he would not stop in front of anyone’s door “ to annoy him,” but ho does not say he was not there at all. We say the Army was there, and the crowd was there, and we care not one jot what Captain Harlow says to the As regards Mr Miles, it is true he never T complained of the matter, neither did anyone olsq. Mr 11. M. Miles has told us in the presence of a witness that he ayas so busy thaf lie noticed nothing unusiia]. He, of course, did not see it.

If Captain Harlow had come half a dozen.

yards further up he would not have been in anyone’s way. We have only to repeat that ■ every word of the paragraph in the paper was true, and a disinterested witness has proved this since to the satisfaction of Mr Miles. — Ed.]