TEMPERANCE CAUSE

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 147, 17 March 1933, Page 6

TEMPERANCE CAUSE

Continued Effort Urged Speaking at a meeting of the Women’s Social Progress Association yesterday afternoon on “The Temperance Problem,” the Rev. J. 11. Blanchard said that one thing needed to-day was for responsible people to awaken to the fact that there whs a problem of tempfetauce. “It,is my firm conviction," said the speaker, “that the day will come when humanity will abolish the manufacture and sale for ordinary consumption of those alcoholic beverages out of which this problem emerges." Such a step, however, needed the enlightened conviction and aroused conscience of the people. It was Impossible to deny the. fact that the more widespread drinking becaine the greater did the proportion of excess become. Those who encouraged drinking by their personal example, Mr. Blanchard said, and maintained the prestige of the custom by what their own practice was, could not therefore altogether acquit themselves of responsibility for the results which accrued to society generally, even though no evil as far as they could see came to them personally. Mr. J. Malton-Murray, who also spoke at the meeting, said, that the motive force behind the attempts to reintroduce beer into the United States was that of money. He emphasised the fact that the struggle against the liquor traffic in New Zealand had been begun not because of what had happened in the U.S.A., or anywhere else, but be; cause of the evil results of the traffic here. And although temperance workers might be encouraged or discouraged by what happened In other countries, the battle was a New Zealand one to be fought, and, he hoped, carried to a successful conclusion on its merits here.

There was urgent need for wakefulness, because there could be little doubt that efforts would be made to undo all that had been done by the temperance forces toward emancipating New Zealand from the liquor traffic, said Mr. Murray. If the temperance forces wished to avoid seeing these efforts put Into operation, they must rouse themselves and recreate that coordinated, organisation that had been so powerful In the past. In this direction women could exert a powerful influence, since the hew ’ organisation would have to depend upon voluntary service for Its efficiency. i