THE PIONEER CONCERT.

Auckland Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2217, 13 April 1877, Page 3

THE PIONEER CONCERT.

The Temperance Hall was crowded last night on the occasion of the Free Templar concert. Rev. Samuel Edger, 8.A., occupied the chair, and took part in the musical service. The proceedings opened with a duet by the Misses Edeer, and the chairman's address. Mr Edger said that it gave him much pleasure in presiding over that, one of the most respectable meetings that ho had attended in connection with the movement in Auckland, and the arrangements eenerallv reflected the highest credit upon the Worthy' Chief Templar of the Pioneer Lodge. As he had only fifteen minutes allowed him for speaking, he would confine himself to the only remaining argument which their opponents urged against the cause: " You are such a lot of fanatics," The writer of a recent article in the "Times" admitted that Templars were nerfecUv right in trying to get rid of tho frtehJfu'l effects of drunkenness, by trying to m&ke tho people total abstainers. They nolq

great blessing to mankind, but the Templars were such a lot of fanatics. The Chairman then proceeded to s-hew that in connection with every reform, snch as prison reform, the slavery question, and education, the most earnest advocates were termed '"fanatics." Mr Edger then reviewed the social condition of the people of England, and held the opinion that English manufacturers are unable to compete with foreign, solely on account of the drunkenness of working men. He next referred to the melancholy case of McGrath, which puzzled our wisest men. McGrath was not, perhaps, naturally an unkind man, but he was a drunkard. Hence his children, as in the case of every drunkard, were robbed of education and their true position in life. The speaker next spoke of the erroneous opinion of medical men in connection with alcohol, and of the apathy of ministers of religion, and was hold enough to cherish the idea that if total abstinence prevailed, all physical diseases "would disappear, and until there was some better and nobler scheme for the moral and physical elevation of the people, he should devote his heart and his life to the cause of Good Templary. The Rev. Mr Westbrook, Primitive Methodist minister, gave an address on Good Templary in the South Island, and spoke of the external and internal difficulties with which they had to contend, and advocated high-class amusement in preference to tho. .? which tended to drag down the youth of these islands, instead of educating their taste, and raising them by the exercise of pure thought to a higher standard of life. The Rev. Mr Taylor, of the United Methodist Free Church, dclivored an interesting address in his epigrammatic style on his Templary experience at Westport, and gave several personal sketches with telling effect. The ballads of the evening, all nicely sung, were "The Bellringer," by Mr Alfred Hemus; "List to the Convent Bells," by Miss Dobson and Mr Hemus. " Thou art Weary," by Miss Dobson; the " Magic of Music," by Mrs Bettany; " Farewell, Nellie," by Mrs Featherstone ; " Soothing the Spirit," by Miss Gribble; "Wrecked and Saved," by Mr Marson. Among the gems of the evening was the i instrumental trio by the Edger family ; Rev. Mr Edger, violincello, and the violin and pianoforte by the Misses Edger. This was a real musioal treat. Mr George Fraser gave the "Lottery Ticket," from the remains of the late Robert Leigkton, which was highly praised. Miss Agnes Carr read the "Drunkard's Wife," from Blihu Burrit's "Sparks from the Anvil," one of the most powerful episodes in the annals of drunkenness that was ever penned, and Mr George Carr, just returned from the sea, recited very fairly Campbell's fine lines on Poland, from the " Pleasures of Hope." We have only to add that Miss Dobson accompanied the songs on the pianoforte very successfully, and a very creditable concert closed in a loyal manner.