FIGHT AGAINST LIQUOR

Feilding Star, Volume 7, Issue 2304, 5 September 1929, Page 5

FIGHT AGAINST LIQUOR

WORK OF THE W.C.T.U.

“PEACE, PURITY, PROHIBITION’’

ANDRES'S BY AIRS PERVMAN

A. pubic meeting arranged by the Foiling W.C.T.U.. was held last, evening in St. Paul’s, vsehoohoom, the chief speaker being Airs Pcrymnn. of JohnsonviUe. ; The A lay or, Air C. E. Taylor, who was in the chair, extended a welcome to the delegates. Ho said Feilding wn»; a fine town and in if wore many fine men and women who gave their time willingly in all social service work, and he looked upon the work of the W.C.T.U. a, 9 of the best Not, only did the unions work for tempera-tire, hut they had the welfare of the youth of the Dominion at heart-, and their work had a very broad scope.

Ensign Norman, as representative of the Ministers’ Association conveyed to the members of the convention best wishes lor a successful binio of fhc.ir work. THE THREE P’s

Aliy Peryman. .said the VY .C. 1.1., stands for Peace, Purity and Prohibition, and it stood for international Courts of Arbitration, long before the League of Nations was thought of: It had often been stated that Prohibition was no 'a .success in America, but the question was, “Who said .so?” The Washington Post, said in a leading article after the last Presidential election, that it was the Prohibition issue that had defeated Al Smith, the “Wet” candidate. Airs Permian spoke of press reports of happenings in U.S.A. The prog; of thi.s country fairly wept when a Prohibition officer killed a bootlegger in iself-dcfcjnce, hut no mention was made of the murder in cold blood of numerous Prohibition officers by bootleggers. One great care wai; given to the breeding of stock in. New Zealand, If there* was anything harming the sheep and the rattle experts were sought, bub people ctjlmiy tolerated the liquor traffic which was doing r,o much harm to the children. Every year about £B,750,000 was spent on alcoholic liquors and- all the return they got was .crime .poverty, jditsrhle, and accidents. Did they realise what £8,750,000 was If if. were turned into sovereigns it would weigh 88 tons. The W.C.T.U., the speaker said worked steadily on, irrespective of the pod's, and, the time would come when the* liquor traffic would have to go. They herd much of the need for reducing the hospital rates. The expenses of hospitals had in-cea-od because of the great increase in the number of motor accidents Whereas any persons might have a. motor accident, it was not usually total abstainer; who were responsible.

Mrs Peryman closed her address by appealing to her ‘listener;* to square their shoulders to their work ami to remember it was a groat privilege to belong to such; a. fine World's organisation as the W.C.T.U. Air H. Alclntyre, seconded by Air H. Treamiyne, moved ’a vote of thanks to Mrs Peryinnn for her excellent address: ALusic items were contributed bv Afiss Gii.'-on, Al iss Hughes and Air Aiatheson. CONVENTION IN FEILDING DELEGATES AND BUSINESS The Women’s •'Christian Temperance Union District Convention was opened yesterday in St-. Paul’s school room. • Airs T. Young presided, and there were rprebent delegates frdm the Palmerston North, Apiti, Levin, Pahiatua and Feilding branches. Regret was expressed at the absence through ill nests of Airs Ferguson and Airs Walcehnm. of Palmer ton North.

The Lne cthtg opened! it lx d evotions, after which Mrs Young gave the .scientific fact for thei meeting that alcohol has absolutely no food value l . The; visiting delegates were welcomed by Airs Young and Mrs Pack.

The following <l<V.bgntos gave the reports of theiflt unions otn the year’s work: Airs Ruff (Palmerston), ATr.s Al.urray (Apiti), Airs Spence (Feilding), Airs Young (Levin), Afiss Edmod (Pahiatua). A. very welcome visitor was Mr.? Thomas, of Aforeeambc, in Lancasshire, England, Airs Thomas hats taken n, lending part in the British AYomon’s Tot-ail Astineneo Union and in a. short address she gave an account of the temperance work in England and the struggles to prevent further concessions to the licenced liquor traffic. * Afrs Peryman spoke briefly on the need for vigilance in New Zealand to prevent the granting of licenses in r-ucli places as Ashburton. 1 The meeting was then adjourned until to-dnv.

During the afternoon the Feilding ladies provided afternoon tea.