MEETINGS, ENTERTAINMENTS, ETC.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 112, 13 May 1902, Page 3

MEETINGS, ENTERTAINMENTS, ETC.

MISS FLORENCE BALGARNIE.

The Central Mission Hall was crowded last night, when Miss Florence Balgarnie, a well-known English advocate for temperance, gave an address on "Our Glorious Cause." The Eev. Hugh Kelly, M.A., presided, and introduced the speaker. Miss Balgarnie introduced her lecture with some of her experiences in <fhe Australian Commonwealth and said that she was pleased to assure the people of Auckland that in Australia there was not only a very friendly feeling but a feeling of admiration for the progress New Zealand had made in many movements of reform. Proceeding to her subject, the speaker referred to two glorious causes of the past, the Crusades', and the- emancipation of American slaves. The Crusaders, sne said, did not accomplish their purpose, but they did an immense amount of good by paving the way for future reforms'. Slavery was a great evil, and the movement that sought for the freedom of the slaves was a glorious cause. Most ot' the slaves longed to be free. The slavery of drink was a greater evil, for the slave to drink often hugged his chains, and therefore she claimed that the cause was a glorious one:. In New Zealand the people had the power to veto at the ballot-box—a power which Sir Wilfrid Lawson and others had been endeavouring to secure for the past 50 years, but which they had not yet obtained. Tne lec-turer-said that this greater power necessarily involved greater responsibility, and all should use to the full their power to vote for reduction as well as for no license. A Resolution was carried in which the meeting agreed to do its utmost to parry no-license at the coming poll. A vote of thanks was tendered to Miss Balgarnie for her able address. Tins evening Miss Balgarnie will speak again in the Mission Hall on "The Claims of the People v. the Claims of the Liquor Traffic."