W.C.T.U. CONFERENCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 October 1928, Page 2

W.C.T.U. CONFERENCE

A GREYMOUTH GATHERING.

The W.C.T.U. branches on fihe West Coast held an all-da.y conference yesterday with the executive officers of the North Canterbury District Union. Mrs Butcher, president of the Greymouth Union, introduced the Canterbury visitors, Mrs T. E. Taylor, J.P. (Dominion President), Miss Beatrice Harband, J.P. (Canterbury secretary), and Mrs Barrell (district treasurer), and briefly explained to the Coast delegates from Hokitika, Greymouth, Reefton, Ross, G.ranity, Runanga and Blackhall the object of the conference. The conference then went into session. Mrs Taylor presided. She fully explained the nature of the home meetings’ campaign being held in other parts of the Dominion. It was decided to organise the work on the Coast along similar lines. Miss Harband explained in detail the system of postal voting. The official regulations concerning it were distributed amongst members of the convention. The afternoon sessjon was occupied with the presentation of reports from the eight unions on the Coast. These disclosed a membership of 155 adults. Several unions had a cradle roll. Members and others were actively engaged in Band of Hope work. It was decided to recommend Greymouth as the mother union on the Coast to get in touch with the other unions, especially the more isolated ones, to ensure closer co-operation in the work. EVENING ADDRESSES. At the opening of the evening session the delegates were tendered an official welcome by the Mayor, Mr J. W. Greenslade, who expressed pleasure with the idea of holding the conference in Greymouth, which was gradually b.ecaming a centre of importance." He mentioned the far-reaching ' work of the W.C.T.U. organisation, and expresed the hope that the conference would have a beneficial effect socially in Greymouth. The Rev. T. N. Cuttie welcomed the delegates on behalf of the Ministers’ Association. Mrs Butcher, President, extended > a welcome on behalf of the Greymouth branch of the W.C.T.U. Mrs C. W. Barrell responded on behalf of the visiting delegates. Miss B. M. Harband then adressed the gathering, and caused laughter when, in reply to Mr Greenslade’s remark‘on the Coast weather, thought that the “dryness” was sufficient to absorb all the wet. She then went on to explain the work of the W.C.T.U., pointing out that 12,000 women in New Zealand belonged to the organisation. These were linked up with a world-wide organisation of over a million women, pledged to work for the abolition of drink. She explained that as a result of advancement in thought and a better knowledge of the effects of alcohol on the human system and mind, advocates of the reform had almost ceased to appeal to the emotional side of drink-taking, where women and children were concerned. America had shown prejudice to it and abolished liquor. Other countries had shrunk from following America’s example, but New Zealand was possessed of sufficient courage to fight for that cause. Japan was making big strides towards prohibition, and some thought she would beat New Zealand to it. The Mikado and his 300 attendants were total abstainers. The speaker expressed the belief that the full rights of citizenship gained by New Zealand women 45 years ago would ultimately be the key to lock the door of every licensed house in the Dominion. This year they wanted 19,000 votes to win, and last year 41,000 women failed to vote. At the last poll 319,000 had voted against prohibition. Miss Harband went on to say that since 1876, the W.C.T.U. had advocated women’s suffrage. The Mayor of Christchurch (Mr J. K. Archer) had, in a recent speech, taunted the women on the way they were using their vote, pointing out that they should stand for everything in the way of moral reform. He seemed to forget that the W.T.C.U.’s greatest difficulty was in getting the men’s support. The speaker mentioned various reforms effected, yet the only logical thing to do was to outlaw all the traffic which did not comply with the law. In conclusion, Miss Harband

strongly appealed to all women to exercise their influence in support of the cause of prohibition. Mrs T. E. Taylor gave an interesting address, in which she congratulated the Coast on being able to send thirty delegates to the conference. Although she did not wish to seem pessimistic, she realised when she returned from the Pan-Pacific Conference in Honolulu that women in New Zealand were not sufficiently interested in this cause. Not all women of the churches were supporting the W.T.C.U. in its efforts to abolish the liquor traffic. Mrs Taylor spoke interestingly of the Pan-Pacific Conference, and the working conditions which it brought to light in Oriental countries, where women had no franchise. All the delegates from the East were charming and highly-edu-cated women, and it showed how little the New Zealand women were doing with all their rights of citizenship when these people believed that women’s franchise would solve all their scocial troubles. The speaker explained that if prohibition were carried in New Zealand, it would be far easier to enforce than in America, with its racial differences and huge population. In conclusion, Mrs Taylor dwelt on life in Honolulu, where social conditions were on the highest standard, and where Prohibition certainly had much to do with the happiness of its citizens. During the evening songs were rendered by Misses Adkins and Drake, and a recitation given by Mrs Bird. In a brief address, Mr Osborne expressed thanks *to the W.T.C.U. on behalf of the Alliance, for the fxie work it was doing in the cause of Prohibition.

The delegates returned to their different centres this morning.

‘ COURTS CORRUPTED? (Australian Press Association.) (Reed. October 11, 11 a.m.) TORONTO, October 10. Charging liquor interests with bribing the Courts of Justice and the Government, Airs Flora Haskett addressed a meeting of the Provincial Council of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. She said that the sooner the Government stores were bankrupt, the quicker the Government would be successful. The liquor interests were growing so wealthy that they could buy officers and even control Governments themselves. The Council will pray for Air Hoover’s success in the United Staes.