Smyrna times., 1890-11-19
The Salvation Army of Social
Regeneration.

Regeneration.
The time has gone by when peo
pie laughed at the Salvation Army
The organization founded and directed
by General Booth has outlived ridicule
and now commands respect. In Eng.
land, at all events, it is universally
recognized as firmly estab-
lished, powerful, and, on the
whole, benefcent institution. Con-
sidered as form of religious revival
ism and as an instrument for bringing
religion home to the toiling millions
the Salvation Army may fairly be com
pared to the MethOdsm of the last
century. 1t is now entering on a new
phase, and preparing to undertake the
functions of social as well as
religious reform. In Darkest England
and the Way Out" Gen. Booth puts
forward the comprehensive scheme for
eliminating vico and destitution from
the great cities Ofthe United Kingdom
or, as he puts It, for draining off the
social reslduum. Before indicating the
outlines of this scheme, we may point
out that, according to its prOpounder's
computations, it will require prelim-
mary outlay of half million dollars
for yearly income of $4,000. These
are large sums, but there is reason to
believe from the favorable responses
already made to the proposal, and from
! the serious attention given to the pro-
| Ject by the London press, that the
money asked for will be Forthcoming
and that the experiment of regeuera-
ting England will be tried by the Sal
vatiOn Army.
Gen. Booths scheme is essentially
an amalgam of the eleemosynary and
! cooperative principles, help being Of
tered until the habit of selfhclp is de-
| Veloped. Starting with the aClirmance
that every human being who is willing
to work has Il right to food and lodg-
ing, the Salvationst reformers prop0se
to recognize this right bv three institu-
tons, which represent collectively the
way Out from the depths of misery
sounded in Darkest England" These
three illustrations are: ~ the city
! colony, ~ the farm colony. and f3l
the oversee colony. The first is a
school of preparation for the second.
and the second a training ground for
the third. The city colony will he
merely an extensive outgrowth of the
work which the Salvation Army have
been doing for some time in London
by means of their food and shelter de.
pots. AT these depots any person NAV
Tor eight cents procure a nights lode
ing, together with supper and break
last. The city colonies will differ only
IN thls respect, that work shops will be
established IN connection with the do
pots, and instead of paying the fee
Just mentioned an applicant for food
ana lodging will be expected TO paw in
work. lie Will be employed in max
ing hreWoOd, mats, or sacks, or will be
made a member of the household sal
wage brigade" the duty of which is to
go from house to house and collect old
clothes, bottles, broken victuaIs. and
other refuse. The materials tbus or.
cumulated are sent to the farm colo
mes, at whose purposes we shall glance
presently. Meanwhile we would note
that pains are taken to absorb the i'm
mediate reahsorption of a fraction Of
the inmates Of the city colonies into
the ranks of the permanently emplov-
plOyed. This is to be done bv labor |
registers, which will be opened in CON
nectlOn with the free labor movement
There will remain, however. a large .
number of the destitute. who are nei- |
ther by habit or by training fitted for
speedy re-entrance in the body of self. .
supporting workman These persons
after certain period of probation. are
sent to colonies of the second TYNE
which We shall next describe.
For the purposes Of all initial farm
colony an industrial village Gen Booth
proposes to buy or lease from 500 to
w acres at no great distance from
London. The colonists will be taught
TO erect their own farm buildings. cot.
tages, and glass houses for fruit and
Hover growing, to make their own
bricks and their own furniture. IT, is
expected that in fruit farming female
labor will find Il cOngenial and uItim-
ately profitable employment. Ev-
Perts from France and Belgium are to
be called IN to instruct the colonists in
Jhe production of poultry and eggs.
ana IN rabbit rearing. So much for
he farm the chief occupation of the
adjoining industrial village will be the
transforming of the refuse collected
from London households into products
Of commercial value. Thus. the bread
unsuitable for human food will be riv.
en- TO horses, and what is unfit for hOr.
Ses to rabbits and pigs. Bones will be
reduced to manure, or made nm into
buttons. Grease will supply a soap
factory the waste paper will suDDlv
paper mills; the waste tin will make
Joys. The occupants, however. of this {
second class of colonies, like those in {
me hrst Will not be paid in money.
ney Will receive in return for their
aOOr, ioOd, lodging and clothing. but
IS soon as they have become steady
ana useIul WOrkmen, employment will
De given them at home through regis
ration offices, or they will be Skinned /
% the over-sea colonies which repre-. l
sent the elimination of the scheme OF
hese the prototype is to be founded in {
south Africa. Pioneers are to be sent
ahead to lay out the site and prepare Q
he first crops, but each of the coIonists
IN his arrival will be made the owner {
II house and farm, subject only to a
he obligation of repaying his PASSAGE ]
md outfit Thus the man who entered {
he food and shelter depot as an ont !
ast will emerge an Independent mem 1
Ter of society.
Ihere are many other institutions
WITH which IT is proposed to supple-
nent the three species of colonies inst
mentioned. The aims and processes
II the whole scheme are thus designed \
y Gen. Booth: THE project in its EN-. Ii
lrety may be compared to a great ma 4
hine, foundatiOned tae lowest slums :,
nd purlieus of our great towns and cit
es, drawing up in its embrace the de. c
'raved and destitute of all classes: re-
ewing thieves, harlOts, paupers, drum T
ards, prodigals and alike, on the sim
lie conditions of their being willing to U
work and to conform to discipline" +" y
5 such machinery practicable? At E
he first glance no one would saw so u
nd yet it cannot be denied that the n
reator of the Salvation Army has n II
irritable genius for organization. Al a
II events, now that the Prince of 81
Wales has SuhGprihad - H. .-. ~