GENERAL BOOTH AT SEVENTY-NINE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2208, 4 June 1908, Page 1

GENERAL BOOTH AT SEVENTY-NINE.

THE ARMY’S FUTURE. At a huge “family party” in the Queen’s Hall, on April ICi.li, General Booth celebrated Ins seventy-ninth birthday. His eon, Air Bramwell, Booth, and other members of the Booth family, together with several of the commissioners of the Army, surrounded the General on the platform. The audience, consisting mostly of uniformed Salvationists, gave

him a rapturous greeting, and listened with strained attention to every word of tlicir idolised leader’s speech. He spoke with astonishing vigor for over an hour, the only sign of advancing years being the failure of his voice to carry quite so far as formerly. Recognising the intense personal interest of the occasion he indulged freely in reminiscence, describing with delightful humor and tender feeling some of the important epochs of his life. He assured them, that with the exception of a little trouble

with his eyesight ho felt quite as young as lie did ten years ago. With respect to his mind, “I can still, I think, do something that is worth being read and listened to, and seriously considered.” “As for my soul,” ho added, “I am still on the old foundation, and still glorying in the old experience.” Turning -to the future of. tho Army, the General begged his friends not to worry about what would happen “when the old General dies.” The General had seriously considered tlie matter, ami, realising his usefulness to the Army, had decided to live as long as he possibly could. He assured them, however, that everything that human ingenuity- could devise bad been done to secure tlie continuance of the Army on its present lines after he had passed away. He was confident of tlie Army’s * power to adapt itself to new 'conditions. It was always learning and would be finite able to meet the increasing need for scientific 'methods. “And when I have changed worlds,” concluded the General, “you will find my spirit marching with your battalions, and my example, I think, ever before

Interviewed by Air W. T. Stead, the General has given some interesting opinions on questions of tho day. The licensing question, ho holds, should bo taken out of politics, and ought to be settled upon a national basis, of which the fundamental principle is justice and the practical principle is possibility. “It .is no use crying for tho moon and it is no use attenijiting to enforce prohibition when tho majority of the population drink and wish to go on drinking.” He would, however, get rid of tlio tied house and establish the principle of the supreme control of tho State over the man who is licensed to sell drink. Asked whether lie was a Socialist, “Yes,” said the General, “but I am a Salvation Socialist. A S’al-yat-ion Socialist is different from a i-abia-n Socialist, for we begin at the other end. I deal with the individual hrst; the saved individual will be a tui better citizen lor working out the schemes of your -Governmental Socialism than the unsaved man.” The General cheerfully refuted tho charges of “sweating” with regard to tlie men employed in tlie Army’s “elevators ’ He made it clear "that the poor derelicts whom -he picks up and sets on their feet again cannot do work that is worth a full wage; moreover, he iindo a market (a most difficult task) for “damaged labor,” which otherwise would be utterly -useless. la selling their goods, however, thw Army never undercut. To another interviewer the General gave some details as to his way of life at seventy-nine. “1 am more than a vegetarian,” he said, “I am a grainarian, I live mostly on bread and butter and milk, with a potato, a little fruit, and a cup of tea. I take ail egg now, sgmetimes. Aly experience goes to show that it i‘s not so much the quality and character of the food one eats ns the quantity. That is where the human race has run wild. Alen say they must have so much nourishment, and’ instead of bringing their appetites down to their food, they bring their food up.to their appetites.”