"THE DRINK PROBLEM."

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9468, 15 October 1907, Page 8

" THE DRINK PROBLEM."

AN INTERESTING LECTURE. The Oddfellows' Hall was filled on j Monday night, when Mr Herman Foston, who is at present on a lecturing tour throughout Taranaki under the auspices of the Taranaki Provincial NoLicense Council, gave an address, illustrated by lantern slides, entitled "The Drink Problem." The Mayor (Mr B. C. Robbing), who presided, in introducing the lecturer said the liquor question at the present time was one of the Dominion's greatest questions. Although the movement had gone ahead fairly well :n .\ T ew Zealand, yet theie was much to accomplish in the way of reform. There were two channels in which thoie present could assist the cause, viz., by joining the Good Templars or the No-License League. The lecturer, who has an easy, attractive manner, spoke for about an hour and a half. He told in simple but forceful language the struggles and triumphs of the temperance reform, carrying his listeners back into the early eighties, and then step by step showing how the movement grew till it reached its present large dimensions. •He prefaced his remarks by stating that there were hundreds upon hundreds and indeed millions engaged upon the great work all the world over.' Its ranks had included— and still included — some of the finest men and women the world had ever seen. Temperance reformation, the lecturer said, began in a public-house reading-room in the year 1829, by one Henry Anderton. n those early days it was the custom, in order to to remunerate the landlord, to drink during the reading of a paper (which was read by the public in the publichouse every evening) and the discussion that accompanied it. Anderlon, seeing that the drink was having a demoralising effect, made an heroic resolve to banish drink from the reading-rooms of fhe public-house. This he succeeded in do^g, and subsequently leoame the foremost leader of the rause. The lecturer went on* to relate how the publicans got the drink re-introduced. Andf rton with a few others t! tn commenced a campaign So his hearers would see that it was in a beer-house wheie the first battle was fought, and the first victory won. The lecturer proceeded to describe the subsequent failures and successes m those rarly days, throwing upon the screen photos of such men as Thomas Swindlehurst (who became the '-'crowned king" of reformed drunkards), Joseph Livesey, James Teare (the first advocate of teetotalism in modern meetings), John Finch, Edward Grubb, Thomas Whittaker, John Cassell, men who all played a prominent part in the movement between 1829 and 1838. The first moderation pledge was signed on July 22, 1830. The first teetotal pledge was signed shortly afterwards in the old cockpit at Preston, which became the recognised arena of temperance work. The lecturer then went on to describe the departure of the first teetotal Crusaders from Preston to the principal towns in Lancashire and other provinces, and how the fame of the Preston workers wont over to Ireland, Scotland, and America. He explained that nearly all the temperance successes were the outcome of open-air meetings in the early days. The first temperance hall erected in England was built at Bradford on February 27, 1838. The hall was now a valuable property of the Bradford Temperance Society. As the movement beo;an to grow, the lecturer said, so also did jealousy, with the result that the advocates of temperance reform were often subjected to bad treatment. But still the movement progressed. In 68 years since 1829 the movement had trivmped and done more than could be measured or weighed. The movement spread to the colonies, and the lecturer referred in eulogistic terms to the early Australasian workers in the persons of j Keall, Smalley, Mrs Smalley, Williams, • and of present-day workers in Revs L. Isitt and F. Isitt, T. Taylor, senr., T. E. Taylor. G. J. Smith, W. H. Judkins, Mrs Harrison Lee, and many others He referred to the first meet- \ ings held in Christchurch (before the present local option came into force), ' when no-license was carried in Sydenham by the ratepayers ; and he said the brewers forced the liquor on fco the [ Sydenham people by buying a number of sections and putting their "own" there to reside, and so upset the former result. Mr Foston spoke enthusiastically of the first prohibition win at I Clutha, and the reaffirmation of the No-license vote three years later. Referring to the physiological side of the question he submitted English and other statistics to show how liquor increased the death rate and the number I of inmates of lunatic asylums. He did not for one moment believe that prohibition, if carried, would throw .large numbers out of employment. Of course, it would put a few barmaids out ; but would they not be able to turn themselves to domestic occupations? Boys and girls must be educated upon the subject, for ' upon 'that much depended m the future. He urged all to take, an active interest in the movement by giving their financial support, their sympathy and influence to rid New Zealand of an appalling evil. For the sake of their homes, their new Do■minion, and for the sake of humanity to join the 200,000 who voted at the last ballot for the cessation of intoxicating liquors at the open bars. Tf they did so then it would be found that Taranaki would be the first province in New Zealand to have, carried no license (Loud applause.) The Rev. Mr Shore said he had much pleasure in moving a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Foston for his instructive, interesting and able address. The motion was carried by acclamation. During; the evening Mr Morrison sang "The Lost Chord," and Mr E Sargent "Abide with Me." Both items were heartily appreciated. A vote of thanks to the Chairman and the singine: of the National Anthem terminated the meeting.