BAND OF HOPE DEMONSTRATION.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12177, 25 April 1905, Page 3

BAND OF HOPE DEMONSTRATION.

Ann n ally on Easter Monday the various Bands of Hope belonging to the Canterbury Band of Hope Union assemble together for tbe purpose of holding what is called a "demonstration," and such a demonstration took place yesterday. Tbe proceedings, which are practically tbo same every year, consist of a muster of the various units in Latimer -square, a procession to Hagley Park, and a day in the Park devoted to games, sports, amusements, meals and speeches. The programme was carried out in its entirety yesterday, and the children and adults assembled appeared to derive from the demonstration unbounded pleasure of one sort or another. From the Band of Hopo point of view this year's demonstration was unusually successful, owing to the fact that the number attending was far in excess of what it has been in previous veal's. The following Bands of Hope were represented in tbe procc-ssion : —Juvenile Good Templars, Durham street Methodist, Cambridge terrace Primitive Methodist, Woolston Methodist, Enst belt Methodist, Linwood Primitive Methodist. Limvood Methodic, Selwyn street South, Addington Methodist, Juvenile Rccbabites, Knox Church, Congregational Church Church ot Christ, Good Templars, Sorts nnd Daughters of Temperance, Young Peoples' No-License League, Prohibition League, Hopo of Christchurch Lodge, Pride of Christchurch Tent, Young Crusaders, and Pride of Addington. Upon arrival at the Park the procession broko up, and all betook themselves to various diversions until the afternoon, when the speeche-i were delivered. Mr J. T. Smith, the President of tbe Canterbury Band of Hope Union, said that the gathering was the twentysecond that had been held in Hagley Park on Easter Monday. Tho Band of Hope movement had been a great educational force, and to-day in tho ranks of the No-license party wero the boys and girls of twenty ye imago, fighting as best they could lor the movement for which tbey had been educated and trained. He n.sked all those present to give their sympathy and support to the great movement, and when the time camo to vote one aud all for No-licenso. (Applause.) Tho Rev. W. Ready exhorted his listeners to wipe out the drink traffic by voting No-license at the next poll. Ho was delighted with the procession ho had seen, for it was ono of hope, and bo believed that their hopo waa going to be fulfilled by the abolition of the liquor traffic. The Rev. Dr. Erwin said that it would not be sixty years till 1907 since the Band of Hope movement began, and during that time it had educated generation after generation of children in temperance principles till they bad adopted those principles in their lives. He supposed it waa impossible for many preeent to understand tho state of thn

temperance question at tho time the Band of Hope Union was organised. At the present time temperance workers and reformers were concentrating their attention upon the political aspect, ot the question. He believed the position politically was only possible because of what had been done by temperanoe societies ia educating and bringing' forward tho temperance sentiment, lhere was a general feeling that the temperance party were going to win, ana that feeling, so far as he could understand, was laying hold of the minds of those who were not in sympathy with the no-license cause, and who believed that time was on the side of the no-license party, for every year a number of young people were coming of age, and the majority ot them voted no-license. Tho educative work among the young should not bo neglectod, for to neglect it now would be to cut off their own recruits at a time when thov were getting near to the verge of victory. Even supposing that the no-license party had been victorious all along the line, they could not even then slacken their efforts in that educative work, because there would grow up a generation that would know nothing of the evils of tlie open bar system, and the tendency would be to' revert to it. Total abstinence war, the only safe principle for all men, and was necessary as long as the drinking evil was in the position it was. Ihe liquor party said that there was as much liquor consumed in the no-license districts to-day as was consumed in the open bar days. If that was so, why did they fight against no-hcenso? They sold their liquor, and-tho temperance party got their no-license. But the temperance party knew that such was not the case. , Dr. Russell, who was the last speaker, said that the members of the Medical Temperance Association, of which ho was one of the live founders, wero unanimous in the opinion that strong drink was unnecessary in any form whatever. The principles of total abstinence would very soon become universal. Tobacco was as deadly a poison as drink, and the soonor the State set its face against making a revenue out of tobacco, so soon would they add to the physical benefit of the people. Mr Smith, at the conclusion of tho speeches, announced that the following prizes had been awarded:—Best general display in procession, Knox Church 1. East belt 2; best display on whoels, Knox Church 1, Juvenile. Rccbabites 2.