PROHIBITION CAMPAIGN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18265, 5 December 1922, Page 6

PROHIBITION CAMPAIGN

(Published by ~rra.ngein.ent.)

MEETING IN TOWN HALL.

ADDRESSES BY WOMEN.

PLEA FOR THE CHILDREN.

Tho great meeting held by the prohibition party in the Town Hall last evening was remarkable for the fact, that it was run entirely by the women of tho movement. The Mayoress, Mrs. J. H. Gruison, presided, and all the speakers were women.

Tho principal speeches were preceded by a demonstration in the interests of the mission workers in India.. One of the missionaries, Miss Elsie Lilly, said that many eyes in India were on New- Zealand, watching and wondering what she ■was going to do with prohibition. Sho spoko of the plight of thousands of girl wives and other children in India, and said that all the prayers, help and money that New Zealand could give were required for the emancipation of these girls. She therefore' appealed to tho people of New Zealand to vote out tho drink traffic in the interests of those suffering women and the children of tho Dominion.

Mrs. Lee Cowie said that no doubt tho audience had wondered at the introduction of the Indian tableau. The explanation was that we were all bound up in the bundle of life. When they carried prohibition in New- Zealand they would bo able to send missionaries and money to keep these poor Indian chil- | dren.Tho liquor people asked them what they were going to do after they got prohibition, and their answer was that they wero going to evangelise the world. (Auph.use.) They were called '•killjoys," but by the carrying of prohibition they were going to bring joy to thousands of little children. (Applause.) rnmates of Roto Roa. Captain Coffin, of the Salvation Army, said she could see victory looming ahead, and so confident was her husband of that victory that lie had already announced thanksgiving services in the Salvation Army Hall for next Sunday. A great deal"had been said about the loss of revenue should prohibition be carried, but no man could ever estimate tho awful cost continuance was going to mean to this land. Who could estimate the tears and the misery, the heart-broken wives, the children, with their stunted little bodies and with their will-power practically broken as they come into tho world? Captain Coffin related experiences with adult victims of liquor, and spoke of men now on the Island of Roto Roa who wero only prevented from being decent and honourable citizens by the drink disease in their systems. Many of these men, she assured her hearers, were anxiously looking forward to the carrying of prohibition, as they knew that by this means alone could they hope to regain their lost standing in the community. Appeal to Moderate Drinkers. "Yon moderate drinkers who are wondering how you are going to record your vote," she appealed, " put your own selfish, desires aside and vote lor such, men as these." Her appeal was, continued the speaker, chiefly on behalf of the children, who were "surely worth any revenue which might be lost by tho carrying of prohibition. She appealed to the people to carry prohibition in the interests of the children who could not help themselves. The officers of the Salvation Army, she said, could speak from experience of the shame, suffering, and sorrow which followed in the wake, of the liquor traffic. The Minister for Education boasted that all children had an equal chance, but she denied that, for the drunkard's child, who often had to work to help the mother, could n'ot be said to have a chance. Any little selfish desires, the loss of a little revenue which came from alcohol, should be disregarded in the light of the higher obligation to presci-ve the. nation's most valuable and cherished asset —the children. Social Workers' Experience. The next speaker was Adjutant Gordon, 'one of the Salvation Army's social workers, who by the mere recital of her experiences as a social worker in Auckland made a most remarkable impression on the audience. She said she wished to speak of the wreckage on home life caused by the drink traffic. This was not a hard matter, she said, as there was so much of it. In her 13 years in Auckland she had seen a go'od deal of the un-der-side of city life, and she firmly believed the liquor traffic was responsible for a large percentage of the social problems. On the coming of prohibition these problems would cease to exist, and the Christmas appeals for food for the poo; would not be necessary. She spoke of the housing conditions, and claimed that many families were now compelled to live in hovels and rooms, because the fathers' wages were spent in bars, but when this temptation was removed the families Would be able to live in decent homes. Adjutant Gordon had many of her hearers in tears when she. told of tho hunger and suffering of helpless little children, and the sacrifice:; made bymothers to provide for children whose fathers wero addicted to heavy drinking. She also referred to the increase in drinking among the young women of tho present day, and concluded by appealing for prohibition for the sake of the children and the homes. Choruses were sung during the ei'ening by a number of girls from the Grange Home. The proceedings were brought to a close by Mrs. Lee Cowie, who spoko of the increased prosperity in Oamaru since the carrying of no-license and, as an answer to the assertion that prohibition would mean unemployment, she said that ; one house in Oamaru which employed six persons when it had a license n'ow employed 43, and it had no-license. SERVICE FOR INTERCESSION. UNITED PRAYER MEETING. A united service for intercession and prayer in connection with the prohibition campaign was held at the Town Hall concert chamber last evening. Archdeacon G. Mac Murray presided, and representatives of all denominations were 'on the platform. The meeting was purely devotional in character and no speeches wero given. Prayers w r ero offered that wisdom and right judgment might be given to the people and that the responsibility of the task in hand might bo realised by all. The Divine guidance and blessing were also invoked. Scripture readings were given and several hymns sung, and the meeting, which was marked by a spirit of earnestness, closed with the benediction.