The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-16

1 wv Housden' the efficient an' | w a If a le superintendent
 of the Salvation Army Industria
 Home. you'll be impressed in the firs
 place with his decidedly English ac- cent; his decidedly English coloring
 and his decidedly English manner. foi Captain Housden was born in Staf- fordshire, England, and only Is years
 ago came to this country to make if his home.
 Captain Housden is an interesting character, his sincerity and his abid- ing faith, the religious atmosphere tha; permeates his life and work, his kind ness and deep feeling for his down trodden fellow men, make him an ideal head of an angle and branch of the Sal vation Army work that requires per haps as much patience, fervent Chris tian fortitude and genuine manliness as any other branch of the service. Major Dodd, Captain Housden's pred ecessor was a great, friend of mine; he is now lover there" with the Sal vationists who still remain after the war. I had never met Captain Housden until the great day of the Rainbow di- vision parade here, when I worked all day at the Salvation Army hut with Captain Main and the local corps. asked Captain Housden that day to come to see me and tell me something of his work for in view of the Sal vation Army campaign I felt that this especial branch of the work would be of interest to the public
 Tn the first place." said Captain Housden. let me say that the Saliva tion Army Industrial Home is self-sup- porting, the only self-supporting ln- stitution in the state. Of course, now it is very difficult to make ends meet the high price of everything, the tre- mendous increase in all lines-but we keep working and working and striving to do our best, and we have so Tar been able to keep our heads above wa ter.
 "We average 20 men a week in the home." Captain Housden continued. w give these men three meals day ana pay them a salary besides. The only re- quirement we make is that they work. Our chief revenue is from the old news papers and magazines we collect; these we bale up and send to the mills. Of course, lately this revenue has been depleted to a great extent on account of the war and the various mills when have been effected by it. The good peo- pie of Birmingham have been most gem erous to the home-and if eVerypody would only realize that every old dis carded newspaper means a help to some man to help himself, I feel sure they'd never throw away any newspa- per or magazine that comes within their reach. Other men at the home re- pair furniture; do all sorts Of odds and ends work, and help to defray the ex- penses of the home, which amounts to about $500 a month.
 We have had two wagons that do nothing but collect old newspapers and magazines, but the feed for horses ana the up-keep has increased so tremen- dously that these have been supplanted by an auto truck which does the work of two wagons" Captain Housden said,
 Besides the Industrial Home we have an hotel" he continued, where a man can get bed and three meals for 25 cents way; the use of bath and a place to wash his clothes. This of course, is merely transient unless the man wants to remain and become member of our Industrial Home fam fly.
 Not everyone who lives at the home is what is called down and out,' Captain Housden said. For instance, one of the finest men we have is a Baptist minister, who for 40 years has been pastor of a church. Realizing his age, which precludes an active pastor ate, and yet wanting to continue his work for Christianity, he came to us and is valued member of our home. Also splendid young soldier who was for months in France has come back wounded and disabled; three times he was gassed during the Chateau Thierry drive-and there is only certain work that he can do-and we opened our doors cheerfully and cordially to him.
 No matter if man is disabled-one leg, one arm, one eye-we can always find something for him to do,' said Captain Housden, "and our work ex tends to the colored people, too No man has ever left the Industrial Home without beiIzs a better man, morally, mentally and spiritually.
 q have always been greatly im- pressed with what General Booth said" Captain Housden continued when he uttered the memorable words, There is no use to talk religion to man who is hungry. So in ministering to his physi- cal wantsy the spiritual side becomes more appreciable. It was the same feel ing which prompted our Salvation Army work in France, serving the doughnuts and coffee to the boys, and giving them physical aid which is only means to an end-the spiritual need.
 When a man gets sick at the home We send him to the hospital" said Cap tain Housden. We have two doctors who take care of our patients and we nurse them and make them comforta- ble If man doesn't get on his feet it's his own fault, for we give him every aid, both physical and spiritual.
 Sometimes a man seems almost be- yond reclaim" Captain Housden said.