CONVENTION OF TEMPERANCE WORKERS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9527, 20 July 1899, Page 2

CONVENTION OF TEMPERANCE WORKERS.

The conference of delegates and others interested in the temperance question in the Mapier eleotorata held ytsterdtsy, eventuatedvery saeee<ef ally. At the afternoon meeting, held in the Uatnedral Eohoolroom, the Kov. W Q. Pareonson presided. A large number of delegates repenting various tempercsno* organuatione in the district, were present", and a good deal of ÜBe f a 'l businL was transacted. Committees were appointed 7?" arrange for systemic worfe in owva" in° the district;, for the dlrt-ibntion of literati for methodical work cm po ,i lnfr d £ gcn-rallj to rof-Wwh au educative «Wta am ;i nij..t !lw H-otors. The following re'f.olution v.-ns carded unanimou-ly • - " That this eonveiitinn of temptranee workers declares tbit i rohibi'ian vote-r mo not allied with, or pledged to, any political party • but tbat they him at seonriug legislation to pive fall tflEoot to the r*ill of the people ia de3!ioff with the iiquor traffic." JUthooonolusionof the nfiercoon meeting the delegates adjourned for te», whiob was served in the Uongregation.,! sohool, after whioh a public meeting was held in the Congregational Ohnroh, at 730 p m Mr H. Hill (president of the Hapier Prohibition League), presided, and was enpported on the platform by Dean Hovell, Seve T. J. Wills (Ormondville), H. W. Joliustott (Waipawa), J. A. Asher, Q. D. Oox, and H. .Miller (eeoretary to the League) The ohairman, in opening the proceedings, read a greeting from Mrs Harrieon Lee, who is at present leottmog in Invercargill, wishing the tfawka'e Cay work all success. Mr Hill then briefly reviewed ttia temper - aooe qaestien, remarking on tho aotivity whioh was being displayed throughout the colony on the sibjeot Ihero sepaied to be a fixed determination 4o bring the matter to a final test Viewsd from whatever standpoint the drink oarse was our greatest e:cial evil, bratilieing and degrading our' fellows, and it waa by arousing public S/mpathy and eentia=eat the State could be compelled to bo legislate on tho question that tho wishes of tha people oouid be given tfEiot to. The Bey. T. J. Will? gave an earnest and pointed address on the question viewed from the as-pect of Christian duty. He drew a parallel, oomparing oar own tsmo with the time of Nehemiah and the 70 years banishment of tb.6 Children of Israel to Babylon, and emphasising Kehemiah's intense earnestness. oiiled upon temperance workers for earnest, self-denying, consit tent and persistent effort in tbe cause oi God and home and humanity. Theepeafeer also touohed upon the gambling evil, whioh he termed a profession sanctioned by law. At this stage n resolution, propoefid by the Bey. H. W. Johnston, and eeoonded by Mr Elmes, was oarried, "That this public meeting approves of tbe Looal Option SoruUnesre riill, introduced by Mr (*. J. M.H.R, ood rcvpeotfully requeste the membar for Kupier, £Sr ii. 1). D. SSoLesn, to give it his support." Ihe Bey, J. A. Asher followed, and took the opportncitji to espresa his eatiftfaction and gratification at the fact that the Protestant ohurohefl of tho distriot were united on thid great sooiu! queotion. The arguments of tho temperance party presented a square, th?s {our sides of wbioh were i'a pbyeiaal.tEeatal, mural, andfinanciil aspects, and he adrsnoed some interesting arguments dealing with these four heads He a!eo bore personal testimony to the baneftos which haaS acorued to the Olutha district since it had been under frohibitioi rule. Hβ had juefc reoently ooma from the" vioiaity of tixab district, whioh was at the present time mure prosperous then it had ever been. He oonoluded by moving— " That this meeting of temperanoe workers exDrees their sympathy with their follownorkera in the Olutha electorate, in that their workie sat-jected to so muoh miarepresentatiou. They aho ezpreES thtir appreciation of thi work they have donsj sed tho educational valuo it hsa been to the wholo oolooy." Uir. J. S. Kculder seconded tha resolution, whioh wa* carried uusniiacuely, Dein Novell ravi'jwed tb.9 tcnipjirence question from the »ttmdpoint thit wis-.'e the people of New Zealand ware ptouii of their bsKutifu! country; its beauty wia marred by the ti'.aily of impurity, sauibling , , t»nd strong drink, and he foresaw that unleea they Bβ Ctm-tian men ans women worked shoulder to shoulder, and upon every publio qiestion the country wuuUT be ruined and that before very many years wee over th c ir heads. He also referred to from the standpoint of a parent and citizen, and closed by paying a warm tribute to the earnest and self-denying work of the Bey. T. J. Wills on behalf of the cause, and put in a plea for the various books published by Mr Wills dealing with the queetion. The following resolution was moved by theßev. Q. D Oox;—"Jhat this publio meeting express their gratitude to God and their deep satisfaction at the tidings that Bishop Julius, of Ohriatohuroh, with many of the clergy and ministers of the various denominations, has issued an appeal to tha voters of Canterbury to ' strike out the top line only, and thus vote for rcduotion and no lioense.' " He enlarged upon Bi=hop Julius's action, and suggested that tha Biahep cf Wa'apu might well follow the lead of Canterbury by itfcuingan Appeal to tho people of Bawke'e Bay on this question, which ores of euoh vital moment to tha well-bEicg of tbe oemmunity. Mr y. HoNangtUaa seconded the motion, which was carried nnsnitnouely. The Sev. Mr Miller roviowed thr> day'a work, aud expressed sititfaotion at tho result of tap convention. '.* ha ohaiiman referred in terms of gratification to the fast that it was the first time during his residenoe of over twenty years ia the district ho had witnessed the ohuruhea meeting as a united body to deal with an important publio and social question. Hβ mentioned that a telegram had been reoeived from Mr f. & Taylor expressive of regret at being unable to attend the gathering, and intimating that he expeoted at a later date to address a meeting in .Rapier. Votes of that.be to the ladies for the tea, the trustees of St. John's, and the Congregational Church for the use of the building*, tito, and the Benediction by the Dean, brought the proceedings to a olosg.