NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 130, 3 June 1901, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE.

The annual meetings nl the New j Zealand Alliance were .^ened yester- j .lay. The opeu air meeting arranged | for Saturday night at the Grey-street ; ilrebell had "to be given up on account mi the rain. Yesterday afternoon a largely attended gospi-I temperance meeting wn.s held in Albert Park, the Rev Hugh Kelly presiding. The proceedings'opened "l>y the ringing of the Old Hundredth Psalm, ied by the Salvation Army's Ha ml. under Mandmaster | I remain, finer which the chairman offer- ; ed up prayf-r. in which he prayed for Divine consolation for the parents and I friends of those who perished in the | Grand Hotel fire. The Rev. l\ W. l*iti moved a resolution, in which the meeting tenderer! its earnest and heartfelt sympathy to those bereaved by the latp tire at the Grand Hotel. He asked those present to raise their hats In token of their response to the resolution, and this was done unanimously in silence. The chairman gave a brtof address on the liquor traffic. Mr George Aldritlgp said they were trying once more to unite Christianity and lemperahce. He urged those present to join the temperance movement, and by their personal example promote a great reform. Mr ('. Mill moved a resolution as follows, addressed to the Licensing Bench: '•To the Chairman and Members of the City of Auckland Licensing Committee. —Public announcement having been made that hotelkeepers of the city intend 10 apply to you for an extension of the hours of sale of alcoholic; liquors during the visit of their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duche.ss of Cornwall and York, wo. the undersigned electors of the city, beg most emphatically and respectfully to remind you that the electors by a large majority elected you to your present responsible position on the distinct understanding that the hour of closing v.ms to he 10 o'clock p.m. We. respeefully submit that no sufficient cause can be shown why the hour should be extended during the Royal visit, which ought to be characterised by a. sober and intelligent enthusiasm on the part of the citizens. We must respectfully enter our protest against any increase for facilities for indulgence in intoxicating liquors. ;md trust that in your wisdom you will see fit to refuse the aforementioned application." Mr Muldoon seconded thp resolution, which was carried. The Rev. F. W. Tsitt gave an address on the temperance cause and said it was divine politics to put up barriers between their fallen brethren and the temptation of the liquor traffic. \';Lnst evening an open air meeting was neld at the Grey-Street firebell. and was largely attended. Mr "Muldoon presided. A resolution expressing sympathy with those bereaved through the late fire was carried unaimously. The resolution carried at the afternoon meeting against the proposed extension of hotel hours during the Eoyal visit Avas reaffirmed. Messrs CO. Hill, J. Scott and Spedding gnve addresses, and the band of the Union Free Church played several selections. THE ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report, read by the secretary (Rev. Frank Tsitt), stated that the past year had been one of anxiety to the executive, and of toil ■to its diminished staff of workers. The total debt, resulting from the political campaign of the. previous year amounted to £406 10/10, which had impeded the subsequent work at cverv point, and the time devoted to Iffl liquidation had interfered with the discharge of other and more important duties. Of thoftc duties, the most urgent werp resistance to the Premier's proposal to grant licenses in the King Country, and opposition to the Government's suggested amendments of the. Licensing Act. The report proceeded to detail the work done in connection with these matters. The, executive expressed pleasure at being able to report that arrangements had been made with Mr. J. O. Woolley, temperance advocate, of America, to deliver a scries of addresses in the colony during the month of August and September. Negotiations were being conducted to secure the services of Miss Florence, i TJalgarnie from May fo November, I 1002. The reputation she, bore in England convinced the executive that New Zealand would be greatly benefited if they could arrange for this campaign. After full consideration the executive recommended that the proposal for the federation of the Alliance with the. T?ritish National Temperance Union be accepted, provided that the Alliance remains unfettered in respect to its own platform and actions. The executive placed on record their hearty appreciation of the earnest effort which the. Rev. T. J. Wills had made, to promote the, interests of the Alliance during the year of his presidency. Thanks to a number of other workers were also recorded in the report. With regard to finance, the executive were glad that they could write in terms of congratulation on the worl< of the year. On the Ist of June, 1000, the outlook was serious, with a debt of £412 7/5, and a working staff diminished to one. They could not toe highly express their appreciation ol the kindly response which their friends had made to repeated appeal? for financial aid. The only drawback to the executive pleasure at the financial success lay in the fact that it had been accomplished at the sacrifice of a great deal of more important work, and the executive pointed out that the usefulness of the Alliance could be enormously increased if, instead of the officials having to make so many personal appeals for money, a thousand of the subscribers would send their subscriptions direct to the office in the first quarter of the financial year. Though there had been less aggressive work effected dnrinpr the year than could have been wished for. the work of organisation had made further advancement, anrl the smallest places in the colony were being continually brought into closer touch with the centre.

The annual balance-sheet showed receipts for the year had totalled filf)S4 4/7, the itetns being: Subscriptions. £063 1/5: sale of literature, £fiß 14/7; proceeds of meeting's, £1.7 f/7. The disbursements left a credit balance of £00 10/7. the largest in the history of the Alliance. The amount expended in liquidation of debt v&s £412 7/5, the largest item being bank overdraft £204 8/3. The principal items of current expenditure were: Salaries and labour, £281 8/1; travelling expenses and freight, £65 10/5; postage and telegrams, £41 1/5; printing- and advertising, £40 14/2; King Country expenses, £33 7/6; rent, £25; office expenses, £17 15/6.

The report and balance-sheet wese.

adopted, on the motion of Mr. Gregory, seconded by Mr. Spedding. At this starre Mr. Maunder, of Taranaki. took the chair in place of Mr. Kelly, and the meeting1 went into committee. MEKTINU IN THK OPERA HOISE. The Nev,- Zealand Alliance continued their meetings i'l '!>•" "lH'":1 Hoiiso last evening, .Mr Geo. Foui'/ts, M.H.U., occupying the chair. The service was opened with prayer by Pastor Whallev, of the f rnion Free. Chare!). The chairman spoke of the liquor traffic as a menace to the nation, causing serious loss of life and loss to our industries, and increasing the degradation of the lower classes. Mr U. French moved, an.l Mr A. Dewar seconded, a resolution protesting against the proposed extension of hours for hotels during the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York, which was carried unanimously. Pastor Bull said the "liquor jjnriv regarded their forces aa contemptible, but he hoped and prayed that very soon those contemptible forces would prove effectual. He spoke, of the education of the young, and said that small things will one day overthrow the opposing forces and save our land, and for this reason they should J);>t be discouraged. Rev. Isitt look as hi.s subject the .state of the King Country. He said that although the census figures indicated an increase in the Maori population, vet those intimate, with the native race did not believe that they were increasing. The Maoris had fallen owing to their treatment by the so-called Christians they had met. He gave a brief account of the history of the Young Maori Party, originating with the. Te Ante College: the Maoris had been hopeful of saving thenpeople, and had approached the PrLmier to get clause. 33 enforced in the King Country, but their effort* hod proved unsuccessful. There never had been prohibition in the King Country, for any dealer could at any time sell liquor in the heart of the country. No attempt, had been made to enforce the law. and although Mr Seddon said hi? heart bled for the sufferings endured by the Maoris on account of the drink traffic, still he did nothing to make the law efficient. It was mere humbug to say that the sale of "liquor was prohibited in the King Country, still there, was not one-tenth of the" amount of drunkenness that had previously existed. The meeting closed with (he bentdiction by the Rev. F. V. Isitt.