TEMPERANCE

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 138, 7 March 1929, Page 12

TEMPERANCE

ALLIANCE CONFERENCE ADDRESSES GIVEN . / About 100 delegates from all. parts of the Dominion were present at the opening session of the New Zealand Alliance annual meeting held in the Dominion Farmers’ Institute yesterday. The chair was occupied by Mr. O. Todd, of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Alliance. , . ■ The Rev. J. R. Blanchard gave an address based on the appeal, “Be Ye Steadfast, Immovable.” He reminded his'hearers of the great work already done, and urged them, despite all discouragements, to stand fast, determined to carry on until the victory should be won. The president in welcoming the delegates referred to the Presidential election in the United States, which, he said, had demonstrated that prohibition was not a failure there. On the contrary, the people had shown that they desired to retain the law and have it more strictly enforced. Wets and drys had both declared before the election that the voting would be a national referendum on prohibition, and there was every reason far encouragement that the people of the U.S.A., after nine years of trial, had endorsed the policy so emphatically. The annual report as presented to the meeting was adopted, together with the financial statement presented by the hon. treasurer, Mr. F. Feist. ■ The Rev. W. J. Comrie submitted the report of the Dominion executive on plans for reconstruction, being followed by Mr. W. D. Hunt, who dealt with the financial aspects of the proposals. "The Dawn Must Soon be Here.” In the afternoon an address was given by the Rev. F. E. Harry, who pointed out that all great movements had their various experiences, but despite apparent set-backs, the mbvement against alcohol was going forward. The accumulating stocks of whisky in Scotland showed a declining consumption. The League of Nations was beginning to interest itself in the alcohol problem. We needed to take the long view, not to be discouraged by disappointments, nor unduly elated by successes. We needed a religious revival to give impetus to the movement. The darkest hour came before the dawn, and the dawn must soon be here. Consideration of the reconstruction proposals was proceeded with, and they were carried. The general secretary, Mr. C. R. Edmond, presented a report on licensing legislation and political action, the discussion being adjourned to the evening session. Service Giving. During the course of an address last night to the Youth Movement Against Alcoholism, the Hon. Sir Geo. Fowlds traced the growth of freedom. He pointed to physical bondage. Since then manwas supreme, and peoples were subjected physical bondage. Since then mankind has progressed by attaining physical freedom, civic and religious freedom, and to-day were striving for economic freedom. In the old days, power was exercised to compel service; but there was a new law of social evolution operating to-day, and that was the law of servicegiving. Not until they had placed themselves under the influence of this law and were striving to render to the utmost worthy service to their fellow-men had they attained full freedom. The ideal was freedom of body, mind, and soul. ’They must see to it that nothing they did infringed the true freedom of others. The manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquor was a breach of. this principle, because intoxicating beverages destroyed the finest attributes of human nature and the highest mental qualities, and reduced men and women to the most degrading form of bondage—bondage to depraved appetite. The struggle against the evils arising from the use of alcoholic liquor was really a battle for freedom,, and called for leadership. In every department of moral endeavour to-day the crying need whs for leadership. He appealed to the young people to cotne forward and take their rightful place in due course as leaders in this great fight. They would find in the enemy opposed to them a foe worthy of their steel. He was not a killjoy, he was not advocating anything that -ould interfere with complete happiness of young people. He rather advocated something that would ensure healthy, happy enjoyment. For the sake of the present and still more for the sake pf unborn generations, he urged them to give themselves ungrudgingly to the great fight against alcoholism. Following Sir George Fowlds, the Hon.

unon the wonderful development of the British race, which -beneficially controlled so much of the world’?.territory. He said that we did not-d0...-it ..by force of numbers. but by strength, of character. Strength of .character implied self-con-trol. and mqral leadership called for the same quality. * robbed, a- man of self-control and therefore of capacity for moral leadership, that we-were justified in regarding it as one