Temperance Column. UNITED KINGDOM BAND of HOPE UNION.

Evening Post, Volume XLV, Issue 94, 22 April 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)

Temperance Column. UNITED KINGDOM BAND of HOPE UNION.

At the New Year's gathering of tho Band t)f Hope workers, hold at Exeter Hall, Mr. George Williams presiding, addresses wore delivered by Canon Wilberforce, Mr. Cony beare, M.£., and others, as woll as the President. A gratifying feature of the year's report wa« tho success of an effort made to keep up effectively tho Temperance movement in the Metropolis, by which the services of specially qualified eveniug agents were placed at the disposal, four times a year, of each associated society, bonides help from numerous honorary speakers. Special appeals made by the Church of England Temperance Socioty and by the late Manning had rendored valuable aid to tho committee. Tho number of Juvenile Temperance Societies connected with tho 208 Unions on the list of the Parent Society had risen to 8,415, as against 7,910, an increuse of 496. The average membership had also increased. Last year a careful estimate indicated 135 as the average per society. This year, by a collation of returns from a large number of widely scattered and thoroughly typical sooieties, it had become evident the membership had increased to 165 per society, giving an estimated total of 1,388, 475 young people under the immediate influence of the union. Societies in parts of the country still uprovided with unions were estimated to number 2,614, with probably 431,310 members. MRS". W. E. GLADSTONE AND THE BAND OF HOPE CHILDREN. On Monday night, at the Westminster Town Hall, there was an interesting competition among the St. Margaret's and St. John's Ruri -Decanal Bands of Hope, and the ohildren who were adjudged winners received their awards at the bands of Mrs. W. E. Gladstone. Archdeacon Farrar prerided, and said : In the name of the clergy of the rural deanery, and in the name of this large gathering, I beg to thank Mrs. Gladstone for coming here this evening. Mrs. Gladstone has come here for two reasons—first of all, because she takes a deep interest in the children ; and secondly, because she takes a deep interest in the cause of Temperance. (Cheers.) I think that all Westminster ought to feel honoured that the wife of the Prime Minister of England is here to-night in order to show the kindly feelings she entertains towards the children of the ranks of our Bands of Hope, who will grow up to help forward the Temperance cause. (Cheers.) All present having signified their concurrence in the vote of thanks by rising to their feet and cheering, the chairman said : Mrs. Gladstone desires me to thank you in her name, and to say that in proposing the vote of thanks I exactly expressed tLe reasons why uhe oame here to-night.