NO-LICENSE CONVENTION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 197, 14 May 1908, Page 8

NO-LICENSE CONVENTION.

' . GATHERING AT PALMERSTON. (BY TELEGRAPH 1 . —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) Palmerston North, May 13., Tho annual convention of the No-Licenso .workers opened to-day in tho Baptist' Church, delegates being present from all over the Island to tho number of abcut 100. Tho conference concluded at ,5.30, .. and in the oyening a, tea .held at the, Presbyterian Hall at 8 o'clock. . • ...... A mass meeting was held at'tho Municipal Hall, which was largely attended, and eohio eloquent' and• interesting addresses wore delivered. , _ Tho Rev. J. J. Lewis (Palmerston North), in a forceful and eloquent'speech, welcomed tho delegates, and introduced tho business of .tho convention. . Tho Rev. Frank M'Donald (Palmerston North) road an ' interesting paper, entitled' "Personal Work and lnfluence." The writer traced, tho history of' tho No-Licenso movement in Now Zealand for: tho past fifteen years, and praised tho earlier- leaders,, who were men "red-hot" with enthusiasm for tho movement, and' urged a return on the part of present workers to tho same spirit. Members'of Christian churches must work for and talk for tho movement. All tho Lord's people must' be prophets. Tho platform work must bo effectively done, but it fell useless unless the personal- work followed up tho platform efforts. . - - An educational discussion followed, and telling l speeches wcto delivered'by tho Rev. B. H. Ginger, (Woodville) , Mr. Townsend,Mr. Ncal (Feikli'ng), Mr. Byron Brown (Otaki), Mr! Carson (Wanganui), Mr. Jackson (Mas-terton),-and others. Tlio need of instructing :tho-now-'arrivals in thp. Dominion' in tho principles of NoLiconso was specially emphasised ~by one of tho speakers. . - _ Mr. R. W. Neal (Feilding) read the second paper, "The-Best Methods of .Purging tho Roll, and reforred to tho improvement that may bo expected by having the rolls printed at. the Government Printing: Ofiico. ■ Tlio new regulation that persons who did not vote at tho last election would bo summoned to appear at tho Magistrates' Courts, to show cause wily they should not bo struck off tho roll, was brought undor the notice of tlio convention, and workers in cacli electorate were urged carefully to wa'tcb such purging. The Rev. W. J., Williams (Wellington) opened'-the discussion, and congratulated tho promoters of tho convention on tho practical and vital subjects of tlio programme. Ho quoted tho figures of tho last election:—For. lioenses, 182,884 votes; No7Liceu.se, 198,7G8 votes; majority, 15,884; on tho roll, 458,G88 names ; invalid votes, 73,459; leaving .88,855' wh6' did not vote. Thcso latter' constituted tlio darkhorse of tho race.' The, Rev. F. W. Isitt urged the friend|,of Nc-Licensc to watch tlio names on tho roll, and to seo that tho names of persons not entitled to voto wero removed. The subject was further discussed by others present. At 3 p.m. tho chair was taken by Mr. D. M. Low, and the Rev. Mr. Boecroft, President of the. Methodist Conference, addressed the conference in a racy and, thoughtful speech, and quoted telling,incidents, showing tlio changed front of tho Methodist Church towards tho liquor traffic. Satisfactory reports of progress were given from various centres. ' Tho Rev. W. J. Williams moved: "That this convention of workers for No-License in tho provincial districts of Wellington, Hawke's Bay, and Taranaki expresses its hearty and grateful appreciation of tho efforts . mado by tho British Government to check the evils arising from tho existence of tho liquor traffic, by tlio introduction of tho Liconsing Bill, and also , waits with satisfaction the glorious stand of tho Government, tho united churches, temporanco reforms, Trados Union leaders, and others, notwithstanding tho opposition of the liquor trade, and in support of tho measure that makes for domestic comforts,' national health, and social progress." Tho motion was carried unanimously, as also were hearty votes of 'thanks to the chairman and the speakers. •