"FOLLOW THE KING" MOVEMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16433, 12 July 1915, Page 8

"FOLLOW THE KING" MOVEMENT.

STARTED IN DUNEDIN.

n ?? cri T- wa s a attendance at tho Methodist Central Mission service in tho Octagon Hall last night, when Mrs Driver, representing the local branch of tho Women s Christian Temperance Union, opened a campaign which is to be prosecuted undei the titlo of " follow the Kick '' Movement. By way of introduction Mrs Driver thanked the Rev. C. Eaton (minister in charge of the Central Mission) for the privilege of being able to speak on tho movement. He was the hist in the city to enable a start to be made with this campaign. I his question had been in the minds of niany of them for a long time, but they had been -waiting for a lead from his Excellency the Governor. They were all fully aware that tho Governors of the different ates ln Australia had followed the example set by King George in abolishing liquor from the royal household during the war, and the Governor-general of the commonwealth, Sir R. Munro-Ferguson, had done ikewise. 1 hose engaged in this campaign had thought that if the Governor of New Zealand Sir Joseph Ward, and the Right Hon. Mr Massey had taken this matter up the people would follow in greater numbers than if the temperance societies took it up lhcy regretted to say, however, that his Jixccl.ency the Governor (Lord Liverpool) had not made any movement in regard to this question, and they felt now that 'twas time the people took the lead, and perhaps tnehighest authorities would follow later on. There was urgent need for tho inauguration of this movement. They had only to know from the Defence authorities of tho number of rejects—expulsions through mtemperanco to realise the urgency for following tho example of the King, at least whilo the war was on. The Minister of Defence, speaking at Wellington recently, said the dominion s expenditure on the war was £3,600,000, and the expenditure on intoxicating liquor was sufficient to pay the wholo of New Zealand's contribution, provido a pension of £2 per week for each New Zealand soldier, and leave £600,000 to be devoted to the relief of the poor and suffering in Belgium, Poland, Serbia, and other distressed countries. It was not sacrifice for total abstainers to be asked to give up something they never had, but it was ; sacrifice to ask _ the moderate drinker to fall into line with tho King. It was an insult to the patriotism of the total abstainer to say that he was not ready for any such sacrifice. Tho times demanded that every ounce of energy should be thrown into this great struggle, because the Empire was fighting two enemies—one from without and the other from within its gates. The enemy without had shown himself to be fierce, strong, and relentless, whose crimes reached right to the very heavens. The enemy inside was as cruel and relentless was Germany. When they came to consider the havoc causcd by drink and the suffering caused to little children by this enemy it was simply deplorable. They all shrank j. o ? l ..their German foes because of their diabolical deeds to little, helpless children I hey scorned any hand raised against children, and they should scorn the hand of king alcohol. The liquor traffic at Home used up enough grain in tho manufacture of liquor to provide each family in the land with two 41b loaves of bread per week. Mrs Driver appealed to every moderate drinker present, and in tho oity and suburbs, to make a sacrifice in order that the nation might be better able to fin-ht the oppressors of civilisation. ° The Rev. C. Eaton said tho war had altered the standpoint from whioh wo viewed many questions, and perhaps on no question was there such a marked change ot public opinion as on the drink question. We had looked at the question from the standpoint of the moralist and social reformer, and had been unmoved, but now we wero looking at it with the eyes c-f the patriot, and many hitherto silent on tho question were found in strong support of the temperance platform against tho evils ot the drink traffic. The .trouble was that the present war had increased the evils of tho trade, and at a time when we needed to concentrate all our energy on tho enemv without the gate, we found tho enemy at homo especially troublesome. Mr Eaton dewlt at length on tho industrial inefficiency revealed by the recent evidenco made public. But we did wrong to suppose that the fault lay altogether at the door of the working man. The failure of tho Home Government to deal effectively with the crisis made by the drinking habits of the men was clearly due to the grasping selfishness of the moneyed classes, who placed purse before patriotism, and would sacrifice no interest of a profitable trade, not even to assist the Government in a national crisis. He appealed to every individual present to "follow the King"; to put aside what_ was at best a needless luxury, and abstain from intoxicants during the course of the war. It was not enough to head a crusade for personal abstinence, but there should be a movement throughout the land for the early closing of tho hotels. South Australia had led the way, by carrying a proposal by a largo majority to restrict tho hours of the sale of liquor in hotels. Mr Eaton, addressing the business men present, said he wondered why there was not a movement in the business community to restrict the hours of sale. Just now the publicans were doing exceedingly good business, and why should they not share with the rest of the community in making a sacrifice. It was surely an anomalous thing that, whilo the baker and the butclrer for live nights in the week could not sell a loaf of bread or a pound of steak aft.'r 6 p.m.. the publican had full liberty to dishis deleterious goods. In conclusion, Mr Eaton said this was not an ordinary temperance appeal, but in the language of Ben Tillet, "we have got to strike now, with every ounce of British grit, energy' gold, arid brain behind tho blow," and that trade which more than any other weakened the physical and moral arm of the nation should In; courageously dealt with. Mr Jviton llien placed the following resolution before tho congregation"That all present pleflge themselves to follow the example of his Majesty the King in ab-tnining from alcohol as a beveracre. and in banishimr it from (heir households during the war." This was carried unanimously hy a silent vote, the congregation standing en masse. The service concluded with the singing of the Nations! Anthem.