PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY

Evening Star, Issue 12964, 8 November 1906, Page 4

PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY

TO-DAf’S BUSINESS. The Assembly met this morning at the usual hour. * The Moderator intimated that the Rev. D. Borrio was unwell and unable to attend the Assembly. The Rev. Mr Cuming was appointed to take up Mr Borrie’s duties, and it was resolved that the Assembly express their sympathy with Mr Borrie in his iKness.

The Rev. Dr Gibb spoke of the picnic which had been arranged for this afternoon by the P.W.M.U. It was right that some attention should be given to this picnic, seeing the important work the P.W.M.U. were doing for- the Church, but they could not afford to forego the afternoon’s meeting, seeing that such important business was to be considered.—Mr J. G. _W. Aitken gave it as his opinion that the business set down‘for consideration for the afternoon was of a nature which could not bj well and fully discussed by the whole Assembly. Jf)n the motion of Mr Aitken it was resolved that a large and representative committee lx> appointed to consider these matters and report to a later meeting of the Assembly. There was, therefore, no ipeeting of the Assembly/ this afternoon. —Temperance Report.— The Rev. B. Hutson wished to move an amendment to the motion moved yesterday re the temperance report. At the present rate of progress very many of them would have passed from tlie scene long before No, license reigned in Now Zealand. His amendment was to fliroct attention to the necessity of educating the young in temperance principles. Tlie amendment, which u aa lost, made a number of alterations in tlie wording of the report arid deliverance. The Rev, G. Lindsay wished .to give a personal testimony regarding Invercargill. Previous to the carrying of No-license there was a great deal of drunkenness, and a large number of younger men were beginning on the course that leads to moral downfall. Since No-lioenso had been carried he had heard none of the rough talk which had been the usual tiling among men coming from the two hotels situated a short distance from St. Paul’s manse. This lie considered was a very different state of things to what previously existed. Nolicense had not exactly brought about what they would have liked to seo. By the sanction of the Custom-house officer a devil in the shape of two brewers’ depots had been erected outside the No-liccnso boundary, but just miles from the General Post Gfficc. Drink was brought in from these depots regularly, and consumed in the public parks, in private dwellings, and lioarding-houses, and on account of this traffic a number of young lads bad been convicted of drunkenness. It was very sad tiie law permitted sucli an action, and they were in a measure powerless to have it rectified. The matter was referred to_ in the House by the member for their city, but it was apparently pascsd over. If this evil could be eradicated, No-license in Invercargill would bo a greater success. Personally, he had very much pleasure in saying that the state of matters generally in Invercargill had greatly improved, and their tradesmen and business men agreed that it had not in any way nterfered with their business —it was the very opi>o.site. —(Applause.) The Rev. Mr Miller (Auckland) had read the report with interest, but he was of opinion they could not afford to rest on their oars; " there was a great deal to be done yet. It was gratifying to see that science was coming more and more distinctly to the side of total abstinence. Alcohol was now classed as a poison. The Rev. D. Wright (Oamani) attested tlie good effects of No-licensc in his district. Wives told him of the improvement in the peace of their homes; fathers began to come to church again; and back bills, owed to commercial people, were being paid. _ Mr W. IT. Rose (an elder of St. Paul s Church, Gamaru) said ho had hardly thought that, after what hud been published in tlie Dunedin evening paper, Dunc<liu members wouUl enro to bear much about, Gamaru. A very brilliant—no, he would not call him brilliant —a very picturesque writer visited Gamaru. end Oama.ru had never, in its history as a town, been so low, according to that picturesque, writer. However, bo <bcl not bo«ir out the facts of the case. He (the speaker) was not there to make a speech on the very satisfactory nqiort presented by the Committee, nor on the question of the moral results of No-license in Oaniara. _ It must be remembered that they nad nad only four months of No-license in Gamaru. Therefore it would be wry unwise to make anv sweeping statement about it all. But he mixed very freely with the business element, in the town, and lie believed that it the No-license vote were taken again tomorrow the business men would be largely responsible for a larger majority .--(Applause.) He knew from Ins own experience that business men who bad looked very askance at No-lirenso were today strong supporters of No-license. they had told him that it bad been a benefit to them from a business point of view, and that was, after all, the lioint of view from which a business man looked at it. As an elder of St. Pauls Church, he m’idit say that the benefit of Np-hcense in 'other ways had come before him. He bad heard of families that it had put, m better circumstances, because the bead of tho family bad been prevented from spending bis money foolishly. T-he children were much better clad, the house was better furnished, and the family were hamiier. He knew of one case in which a husband had been in extremis, arid Die wife had said that a now world had been opened to her and her family since the 30th of June last.—(Annlause.) They would hear a lot before next election about tho evils of sly grog in Gamaru. But tlie best authority they, as business men, could pet said that there was no more slygrog selling in Oamani now than there was under License. —(Hear, hear.) The same authority said that there was not now introduced into the town a hundredth Dari of the liquor that used to come in. Ho thought the fact of No-licensc being carried in Invercargill and Oamani (two considerable towns) constituted a. splendid advance. Mr Fergusson, president of Die Temperance organisation at Invercargill for the last two years, said that the success Of the noil at Invercargill was largely due to snlendid organisation, lor which, principal credit was due to Air Baxter, one of the Rev. Mr Lindsay’s elders. They knew of a number of habitual victims of tho liquor traffic in Invercargill who had not been under the influence of drink since No-license. In tho old days the hotels used to be crowded with voting men and lads to such an extent that the Salvation Aitov officers could hard I v get in with their ‘ War Cries,’ and tho Inspector of Police had said that he knew no town of the size of Invercarrdll in which peonle so much frequented miblie-honses. All that had been done awav with.—(Annlause.) He mentioned other evidences of the benefit of Prohibition in tho town, and went on to say that property had not gone back in value. The hotels, ho said, were bringing larger rentals than before.—(Anclause.) He instanced one case of a publican, who had said that he would sell nut if No-licenso were carried, doing so at an advance of £1 1 00 on his original bargain. Ply-grog selling was practically abolished in Invercargill, The police wore aware of only two places where liquor was'supposed to be so sold, and those were on such a small scale as to be hardly worth botfiering about. He bc11—1 - l>„-. ,i fair /rial tho mwjam n£

No-lioenae. in Invercargill would be beyond dispute, (Mid that if a new poll were taken the majority in favor of Prohibition would be increas'd startlingly. Many who had been bitter opponents of No-licenso were now its warm friends.— (Applause.) The motion was carried.