THE PROHIBITION MOVEMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12415, 26 July 1902, Page 3

THE PROHIBITION MOVEMENT

MRS ' HARRISON LEE WARMLY WELCOMED, The ' Women's Christian Temperance Union formally welcomed Mrs Harrison Lee in the Choral Hall last night, when the various 'Temperance bodies of. the city were represented. Mrs W. R. Don (president W.C.T.U.) presided, supported on tho platform by: Mesdamee Mazengarb,' A. C. Begg, T. Dick, - A.' S„ Adams, and Mr A. 8. Adams'-(president New' Zealand Alliance), Dr B. E. do: Lautour (president Temperance Reform Council), Rev. W. Saunders (president Council of Churches), Rev, James Gibb (moderator Presbyterian Churcli of New Zealand), Mr J. A. D. Adams, and Mr M. W. Green. : . .Mr A. S. Adams, in extending Mra Harrison Lee "a right hearty royal welcome to New Zoalandj" said many of those present had heard her eloquence and had seen its effects. They recognised in. her a force potent for good in. their great reform.— (Applause,) It gave him'peculiar pleasure in the iiame of.tho New Zealand Alliance to see Iter begin her work, which all hoped would be productive of great good right through the history of tho movement.— (Applause.) Mrs Harrison Lee might enjoy tho comforts of a beautiful;home had she not' preferred •to leave it and spend her time iii endeavouring to make wretched homes happy. Dr de Lnutour said they all know that very great good'would result from Mrs Harrison Lee's visit. On' her would fall the onus and 'responsibility,; the honour and privilege of opening the 1 no-licenso campaign in Dunedin -for 190?.—(Applause.) She would commence with' t'no young, and lie hoped the impression she would malco would, bear-fruit who'll they arrived at maturcr"years. . He trusted, the flood of sentiment which hef words would' set going would not stop until-it had swept the liquor traffic away.—(Applause.) The Rev. W.. Saunders saicl- : that sometimes Temperance workers ..lipid''-.been blamed for bringing in outside preachers, and were told they ought to conduct, the campaign themselves;. But he. lieldjj;h.^ : :iWas desiv- . able to havo ty qlii^t!6n V: 'atttieked from different points of view,'and different people had different 'ways of presenting the same facts. Mrs .Lee would be both glad and sorrowful tq know that she had come most opportunely. There was a feeling in the community that something must bo done. It was not now (v question for the prohibitionist alone, but for, -the great intermediate' class in tli'p community, with whom' rested thp power of deciding any election. Ib' was not tile extremist? on either side: it was. those in between who held the balance, and they now saw that something must be done. They were aware that drunkenness was growing—tho young men of the country, born.-here,'educated in our schools and trained in our homes, wore drinking. It was these who were becoming drunkards in large numbers, As for the new thing that had been put forward under high ecclesiastical patronage, they as prohibitionists could. not -entertain it for a moment.—(Applause.) In the name of the churches of . the city lie Wished Mrs Harrison Lee God-speed in the campaign. Mr J. W. .Tag'o, oil behalf (of the old workers ill the Temperance caufee, welcomed Mrs Harrison Loe, and said that the large meeting itself was a testimony to the heartiness and cordiality with-which Mrs Harrison Lee's atlvent was regarded. The Rev. James-Gibb said he understood Mrs Harrison' Lee was a seasoned campaigner, and it was their earnest hope that great power might be given her to inipross on this community to "strike out the top line." The battle was likely to be a fierce one. The liquor traffic in Dunedin bad got into the condition of .Teshurun: it had waxed fat and \Vas kicking. Ho did not think the outlook was by any means hopeless, for he was satisfied the moi'al eonscience- of this community hpd been touched —and touched to the quick—at' tho tilings that -had"been going- -on-amongst us of late. Dunedin pnee liscd to bo regarded as a sober city. It was once, an unusual thing to see a drunken man, but now one could not go down the streets on Saturday night.without being saddened- by t-he number of' young men they would meet in an intoxicated state, and sometimes in a state of l-iotous intoxication. If ilio might presume to advise, lie would suggest that an appeal should be ' made to those who took liquor in - moderation. The majority of people were not teetotallers, and they would never carry prohibition by the-aid of proliipitionistn alone. If the sympathies of these people,could be enlisted for the wellbeing of'.tho community something might be accomplished. If after the elections the prohibitionists' cause was' no further on than it was at tho present time he, for one, would have to look round tho subject and see if some other method 1 wns not moro likely, to do so. At this present moment no other practical scheme was before the community than prohibition, Messrs J. A. D. Adams and M. "W. Green also gave addresses of welcome to MrsHarrison Lec.

After refreshments had been dispensed by the ladios in charge of-the meeting the President intimJftcd that Mrs Harrison Leo would' reply. Mrs Harrison Loo was greeted with a hearty outburst of applause, and tlmnlced those present warmly for their welcome. 11l a characteristic speech—now pleading, now advising, now oxhorting,—she urged all temperance workers to make a. supreme effort to win at the licensing polls. She asked tliem to come to the temperance meeting (in the words of a celebrated temperance advocate) with a drunkard 011 one arm and a moderate drinker 011 the other. She urged the need for strenuous personal effort, and said: " Wc often n.sk God to work miracles to outmatch our laziness." Let them work, hard together; and they would set Dunedin aglow with enthusiasm, and let them' have a mission such as slie had in Wales rccdntly, when , no buildings were largo enough to hold the people.—(Applause.) During the. evening announcements were mado regarding 4he series of. meetings to be held in tho Garrison Hall. Two vocal

j solos were given, one by Mr (iill)ert and the other by Miss Piobertson, of Knox j Church. This lady gave a very tine rendering of Gounod's "There is a green liill."' and her singing was characterised with great • taste and expression. ' Thb proceedings terminated about 9.55 by the President pronouncing tho benei diction.