MEETING AT MOSGIEL

Otago Witness, Issue 2667, 26 April 1905, Page 26

MEETING AT MOSGIEL

Th© Rev. Father Hays continued his temperance addresses by speaking at the Volunteer Hall at Mosgiel on Monday night, when a very large gathering assembled, the building being packed to the doors. The arrival of Father Hays was received with a iound of applause.

Tho Rev. W. Kinmont was chairman, and he was accompanied by the Rev. F. \V. Bcrehaui. The Chairman briefly introduced th& speaker of thei evening. Father Hays, who was veceived with applause, spoke for an hour f.nd a-quarter, and his remarks were followed with the closest attention by hie audience. His bright humour speedily won the friendship of the meeting, which seemed to recognise the earnestness of purpose of the speaker and to pay him duo respect accordingly. His speech had none of the orthodox violence of language apparently necessary to th© equipment of a prohibitionist lecturer — indeed, it partook more cf the nature of a friendly chat, oftentimes humorous, occasionally anecdotal, but earnest throughout, and, as has been said of another rave rend father, h© " had a way with him," and his appeal io tho young people drew ready appreciation. In the course of his addrass ho referred to this being a democratic country where the woiking man was king. He went on to say that to help the working people, and to assist them on the road to eviccess. it devolved 011 the country to bring itbout the- sobriety of its peoplo. — (Applause.) Every -effort towards the social regeneration of the people must be for the benefit of the country. If New Zealand uas to take that place amongst nations that Jb was the aspiration of eveiy true patriot it should take, then it must have a sober, industrious, and solf-re>specting peoplo in Older that they might carry with dignity tho honour of their couutiy. — (Applause.) He eculd not understand ho\v a man -with a love for country or with a spai'lc of kue for God in his heart could not see that intemperancci was the great barrier between

the people and progress and enligJifcenment. When he cam^ nut into the world to do his duty to (iod ho saw that if he was to attempt to do that duty he must first strike <i great Mow <it the enemy of the homo and p< ace aiid happine-;s of the working people. He had found thst his friends were engaged in the liquor traffic, but he had turned Ins back oil hi^, friends because ho would not be a tra tor to ins duty. Against the argu-lr.-ent lhat the drinking m this country was 1 not by uny means as grPiat an in some otber countries, he said there was all tha more mason for h.s work, for prevention wa* better than cure. After ghing some amuiintj reminiscences, he went on to cay ho boro ijo enmity to pub!. cans; he wai Iheir good friontJ if they Viould allow him to be so. The one idea which every true patr.ot mu-t have was an indiistrioua ])f-op!c practising thrift and temperance". The liquor habit was boring itc way into the very heart of the nation, paralysing its life and crippling its progress. Prayer against the e-s il was not sufficient. BLs own idea was that prayer without work was a failure, and ako work without prayer was a iailure.— (Applause.) For the last 11 years he had made up his mind that he would not know any di-tinction of race or creed. — (Applause.) In the cause of temperance ha vould work wi^h any men, no matter what i - eligion thej- belonged to or what raoe. — (Applause.) He had come to the conclusion that if ho wa-= asked, in an honest and (straightforward way, to sneak out the truth

and to gi\c to the pooule what from practical experience he believed to be the supreme remedy for this universal ciuse of intemperance, ho would tell them that it layin personal total abstinence. — (Applause.) Ho knew there were many' people who would not like that because it was no', a palatable subject. He iound that if ho preach-ed a. popular doctrine men cheered him ; but i£ he pointed to the Cross of Chriet and . preached the following of the Divine Master, then people turned their heads away. It was one thing to preach Christianity; it was quite another to practise it. — (Applause.) He found that his results were 500 peir cent, better when he said, "I will not ask you to make a sacrifice that I am not prepared to make myself ; take my hand and come along with me." — (Applause.) Referring to the influence) of heredity, he mentioned th© case of a child of six dying in Dublin Hospital of delirium tremens — J,\ "Voice: "How do you know that?") Father Hays said because the •loctors certified publicly to the authorities ; that was how he knew. — (Applause.) Ha ; never made statements he was not prepared to back up with authority. Tha mother of the child had been an habitual drinker, and the influepc? descended to tho child. He told how, when he strove to comfort an aged and hardened criminal in Liverpool Gaol, the criminal had said, '" It's no good, Father : save the boy and you will &aye the man." From that moment he had determined that iv the temperance ciusade- the young nvn and young women should be his closest friends.— (Applause.)

At the conclusion of the addiess a hearty vote of thanks to the rpeaker wn« carried by acclamation.

During the fortnight ended April 15 the traffic returns for the city tramways were as follow : — Receipts, £1816 2s 6d ; mileage, 36 036 miles nine chains. For the corresponding period of 1904 the receipts were £1725 19s 4d, and the mileage 34,435 milea 34 chains.

Three Austrian^ at Boston have signed an affidavit asserting that they saw in the streets of Boston a few weeks ago the Archduke Rudolph of Austria, who is long supposed to have been dead. The Austrians a«sert that they aro personally acquainted with the Archduke, and that they could have made no mistake in their identification of him. From the affidavit of tho Austrians it is presumed (remarks the Chronicle correspondent) that Rudolph fled to America instead of committing suicide, as was given out at the time of his supposed death.