WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3522, 13 September 1921, Page 6

WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION.

PROVINCIAL CONVENTION. I he convention of the Otago Provincial ( unncil of the Women’s Christian temperance L niou opened its business sessions '*■ if.mover i re-■ t, Baptist Hall at 9 a.m. on the 7th. The convention president, -'tvs \\ . 1!. Don. who is also dominion piesideat of the Women’s Christian Temperance L nion, presided. There were some on delegates present from all over Otago and .Southland. Opening devotional exercises were condueted by Mrs Don, who gave an inspiring address on heroes of faith, si resting the lesson that "Faith triumphant makes our living and our work glorious.” A vote of sympathy was accorded to lii© relatives of the late'Mrs A. R. Atkinson, tne president referring to the irreparable’ less the union had sustained by her death, lire popularity and love Mrs Atkinson had inspired was indicated by the fact that her husband had received some 2000 messages of sympathy. In© Invercargill Y. branch reported a membership of 365, and a gain of 52 during the year. A report received from Mrs Young, dominion superintendent of the T. branch, showed strong branch unions in Oxford, Nelson, and Timaru. Mrs Don spoke of the national headquarters to be instituted in Wellington as a memorial to the late -Mrs A. R. Atkinson, and pointed out the benefits arid uses of such an institution. Funds were required immediately to 'enable a suitable section for sale in the heart of Wellington to be secured. At this stage with the great struggle before them they should concentrate all available funds on their own special work and requirements. She eulogised the Mosgiel Union which had promptly forwarded a donation of £lO to be applied either to the Mrs Alary Armour Fund or to the National Headquarters Fund. Funds were also needed to permit of the appointment of more organisers. Miss Henderson, national secretary of the union, spoke on advocacy of the three following legislative amendments : —(1) Raising the age of consent to 13; (2) extending the time for laying an information from six months to 12; (3) and the abolition of the power of an accused man to plead ignorance of the age of the girl. Miss Henderson explained that the union had always asked for the age of protection to he raised to 21, but, they were willing to agree to 18 as a temporary measure. Airs W. H. Hiett (Dunedin distirct president) moved, and Airs Lillicrap seconded, that in view of the steady 7 increase m juvenile crime and that magistrates consider it necessary when admitting boys to probation . to prohibit their attendance nt picture shows,, we urge Parliament to take steps to regulate the attendance of children at picture shows. The motion was carried without discussion. In the evening a young people’s demonstration was held in the Y.W.C.A, rooms, and was very largely attended, the great majority of these present being the young girls whom it was desired to impress with the aims and objects of the W.C.T.U. Aliss A. M. Bentham, local secretary of the Y.W.C.A., occupied the chair, and ad. drosses were given by Aliss MTndoe, Airs Lillicrap and Airs Pryor (both of Invercargill), and Airs Don.' During the evening the proceedings were pleasantly diversified by musical items and recitations. SECOND DAY. On the subject of the increased totalisator permits recommended by the Racing Commission, Airs Al'Kenzie (Invercargill) moved : “That this convention of the W.C.T.U. wishes to place on record its strong ‘opposition to ail legalised forms of gambling. It holds that the legalising of the totalisator, and the State’s participation in the profits tncrefroin are morally indefensible, and have resulted in a great increase of tho vice of gambling. The convention further considers that, the facilities for gambling provided by the totalisator have been the means of wrecking many promising careers and of inflicting great moral and material damage upon the community, and it therefore protests against any increase in the number of totalisator permits.” Miss Low seconded tho motion, which was carried unanimously. The following motion directed to the encouragement of temperance teaching in the schools was moved by Airs Allan—“ That in order to avoid overlapping in the distribution of prizes for temperance essays in the public schools the alliance and the W.C.T.U. should devise a scheme whereby every public school in the dominion receives a prize.”—Carried. The election of officers for the Provincial Convention resulted as follows:—President, Mrs Hiett ; recording and corresponding secretary, Airs Alathevvson; treasurer, Airs Peart. Aliss Henderson, national secretary of tho W.C.T.U., addressed the convention oil the subject of “Women in the Administration of the Law,” and pointed out that New Zealand was very far behind in this matter. The following resolutions were carried: (1) That Aliss Henderson be asked to prepare a paper on the Social Hygiene Bill for Educational Bureau. (2) That, seeing it has ever been the noble practice of Britain to protect the native races under her charge, and since the experience of New Zealand and other countries has proved the impossibility of permitting the use of alcohol to the white population and at the same time effectively prohibiting the native, this convention calls upon the Government to continue the present policy of prohibition in Samoa, especially as the Minister of External Affairs has so ably demonstrated the fact, of the increased prosperity of the island under present conditions, not only commercially, but with regard to the increase of population. The first part of the evening was devoted to a musical and elocutionary programme, that was followed with tho keenest enjoyment. Mrs Don made a.n earnest and eloquent appeal to her hearers to throw themselves heart and soul into ihe fight finally to free tho Dominion from the liquor traffic at the next poll.