DECEPTIONS IN SOUTHLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2666, 19 April 1905, Page 33

DECEPTIONS IN SOUTHLAND.

AN INTERVIEW. CFXOU OUB OWK COBRESPONDEXIJ

INVERCARGILL, April 11.

The Hey. Father Hays, "the Apostle of Temperance," arrived at the Bluff by the Waikare this morning, when the steamer was boarded by the Rev. Mr Dawson (chairman of the New Zealand Alliance Executive) and Mr J. S. Baxter (secretary of the United Temperance Reform Council of Southland), who escorted the rev. gentleman to the Garrison Hall, where a public reception had been arranged. The Actingmayor of the Bluff, on behalf of the citizens, warmly welcomed Father Hays, and hoped that success equal to that achieved in Australia would attend his efforts in New Zealand. Mrs Laishley, representing the Women's Christian Temperance Union, presented an address of welcome, Miss Dorothy Laishley presented a bouquet, and Master M'Kenzie an address from the Band of "Hope. The Rev. A. Laishley and Mr G. Hunt, also spoke a few words of cordial •welcome. The Rev. Father Hays thanked them for their kind reception, and hoped -that great good would result from his visit to th& colony. When, he arrived in Australia' he was regarded as a dying man, but during his sojourn in the sister colonies his health had greatly improved, and he hoped that he might further benefit from his visit to New Zealand.

AT INVERCARGILL.

Father Hays came on to Invercargill by the 11.15 train this morning, and was met at the station by Mr George Froggatt (exMayor, in the absence of Mr Scandrett), Hey. R. Ferguson (president of the United Temperance Council), a large number of temperance workers, and a great crowd of citizens generally. Mr Froggatt said : Father Hays,— On be-lia-lf of the citizens of Invercargill, I have pleasure in welcoming you to the most southerly town in the British Empire. We have been pleased to notice the success that has attended your efforts in other lands, and trust that you will be equally successful in this the land of our adoption, and that as a result of your efforts hundreds of fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters -will honour your name and bless the <3ay on which you put your foot upon our shores. We also trust that as a result of your visit you will he greatly benefited in your physical strength.

The Rev. Mr Ferguson said: Father Hays, — On behalf of the temperance societies, I have been deputed to welcome you to this part of the world. We trust that you will be productive of much good, and" give temperance thought a great uplift. We pray that the blessing of God may rest upon your meetings in Invercargill, in Southland, and throughout the colony, and trust that by your words you will be the means of leading many to take a proper stand on this great public question — a question Vitally connected with the welfare of our country. We wish you every success, and hope that when you leave the "colony you will take away with you many pleasant recollections of t-he days you spent here. Father Hays, in reply, said : Ladies and Gentlemen, — I thank you very much for this kind and cordial reception which has been extended to me on behalf of the citizens of this town of Invercargill, and I can assure you that my object in coming to this country is to try to do something to better my fellow men. In niy work both in Europe and Australia I have made no distinction between race or class or creed. I recognise all men as brothers and all women as sisters. — (Applause.) We are sent into this world to try to do some good to our fellows. There is one evil which is blighting the life of our people and threatening to destroy the happines of innumerable children : this is the blight and ourse of strong drink, and I am determined to do all in my power to lift up our people from the slavery of this degradation. — (Cheers.)

Father Hays was driven off, amid cheers, to the First Church manse, where he will he the guest of the Rev. R. Ferguson during his stay in Invercargill.

AN INTERVIEW.

Interviewed by our representative, Father Hays said that he had grown up- in an atmosphere of temperance reform. It was in his grandfather's house in Liverpool that Father Mathew first received hospitality in that city when he first visited it, and his uncle, the Right Rev. Monsignor Nugent, was the founder of the League of the Cross, an organisation that had bee-n very successful also. He himself had been privileged to be associated in London with that great man Cardinal Manning, and had concluded that it was morally impossible to try to save the bodies and souls of men without scotching the drink traffic. All Ms efforts to do g-ood were frustrated by it. He had carried on his mission all over England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales with marked success, suported by all creeds. He had come to Australia to seek a warmer and more bracing climate, as his health ■had become completely shattered at Home, making him unable to withstand the cold damp climate. His efforts in Australia were directed, as his efforts in this country •would be, to endeavouring to induce the people to lead sober, industrious, and thriftful lives, and thereby to be better Christians and more useful citizens. It is true that < in Australia, and no doubt also here, there is not the same fearful social degradation and misery as was entailed by the drink curse on the people at Home. But that seemed to him the more reason for endeavouring to spread temperance sentiment and save men's bodies and souls while yet there was a chance. At Home the drink curse seems an impassible barrier to the religious and social progress of great masses of people, and threatens to blight the lives of the rising generation. At Home the drink trade is so 'very powerful and its influence so far-reaching that even when people are fully convinced of the evils resulting from it they are frequently unable to do anything towards abating it because of the corrupt political influence cf the traffic and for fear of vested interests. Iv the colonies the liquor interest has not got such a grip and tRe social conditions of the people are much healthier than in England, and this, as he had e%id before, was a strong argument for pushing the temperance movement to a successful issue now. His meetings in Australia had been ivonderfully well attended, and had resulted in the obtaining of 21,000 pledges. There also he had been supported by all creeds — by Catholics as well as by members of the various denominations. In Tasmania also

the attitude of the Catholic Church had been most cordial, and both Archbishop Murphy and Bishop Delaney had written him wishing his mission every possible success.

In answer to the question as to whether he expected the Catholic Church in New Zealand to co-operate in the same way, Father Hay* said : " Yes, I expect the most hearty co-operation from the Bishops on account of their interest in their people."

It has been stated that the Bishops have not been informed by you of your visit?

" There must be a misunderstanding. The authorities of the Church are fully aware of my coming to New Zealand, because as soon as it was definitely certain that the state of my health would allow me to come I at once informed the Catholic Bishops of New Zealand of my intention to speak in favour of temperance in certain places, and of the conditions which I laid down with regard to the meetings. I did this as a matter cf courtesy." What are those conditions?

" Well, the meetings must be citizens' meetings, open to ail creeds. They must be absolutely unsectarian." Then you work among all creeds? ' " Oh, yea. I want to do good to my fellow men irrespective of creed or race or class."