TEMPERANCE MEETING.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 83, 12 July 1895, Page 2

TEMPERANCE MEETING.

A public meeting was held in the Har monio Hall last .evening for the purpose of giving the delegates to the Temperance Conference an opportunity of giving an account of their stewardship. Mr E. A. Adams occupied the chair (the mayor being absent on account of sickness), and briefly explained the object of the meeting, and introduced the speakers, Mr 'G. S. Bridge, and the Eev Mr Hammond. In the course of his re marks, the chairman admitted that he was a bit crooked on the temperance question, and considered Prohibition too big a contract for the Alliance to put through at present. He also thought that the police were often made to carry blame which Should rest on other shoulders, for if they did not do their duty under the Licensing laws the public grumbled at them, and if } they did their duty they were either shuffled out of the force or into a place unfit for anyone to live in ; so that they were often in a very awkAvard position.

The chairman then introduced Mr bridge, who, in an all too short address, gave an outline of the work done at the late Convention, at which there were 140 delegates present, representing the colony from New Plymouth to Invercargill. It was the first co’oa'al Convention ever held, and -would, he thought, prove the foundation of great good. He was not one who believed it possible to make people sober by Act of Parliament, but be thought the power should be given to the people to decide whether publichtuses should he shut or open. MiBridge then gave a short resume of the proposed new Licensing Act, and an illus tration of the effects of intemperance in one or two cases which had come under bis personal notice. Ho also referred to the want of organisation in the Temperance Party, whereby a licensing bench fairly divided between temperance and moierate piinciples, had been lost. Mr Bridge then referred lo the late seizure of the Waverley “ Still” as au evidence of the difficulty under which the local police had to act at times, as in that case the police had reported to their superiors the existence of the still, and in place of being at once instructed to seize it, they had had to write several times, and even sent urgent telegrams, asking for instructions, but could not get them, and eventually acted on their own responsibility, for which, when the Inspector of Police arrived at Waverley with the Collector of Customs, the Waverley policeman was soundly abused before the public on the railway platform. It was no wonder the policemen were careful not to interfere if they could avoid it. Mr Bridge concluded by moving a resolution, that in the opinion of that meeting, it was desirable to form a temperance league, to act with other similar bodies, for the advancement of temperance.” Jibe Bev Mr Hammond seconded the resolution, and referred at.some length to the doings of the Convention, and said the members of that Convention were better men than the members of the House. and amongst the members of the Convention Avere some men of learning and good social position, Avho would be heard of again. Mr Hammond then referred to the necessity to reform in the Police Force, and to the reception of the deputation by the lion Mr Seddon, which had been called by the press “ two hoursaudabalfbaitingofthePremier;’ but he thought the Premier had baited thedepulation quite as much as the deputation had baited the Premie, [We are inclined to think that everyone will quite believe this. Fd.] He had keen most favourably impressed with Mr Seddon when here, but Avas disoppointed with the position he took up on the temperance question. Mr Seddon talked much about the “Liberals,” and the “people governing the people,” but , ou the drink question Mr Seddon was a rank Conservative, and Avould not bear of the people governing themselves. Mr Hammond then referred to some remarks he had made in Wellington, when he said that the brewers and wholesale dealers did a lot of mischief amongst the natives, and this their local brewer bad taken as a reflection ou himself. He did not think now that the brewers did sell so much direct to the Maoris as he at first thought; they had to keep sweet Avith the pub - licans for one thing’, and another reason why they sold less Avas because the natives did not want to buy it. He referred them to two peculiar circumstances of Maoris on a Sunday leaving the pah Avith carts and barrels and returning Avith beer, which might of course , have been bought ■ on the Saturday, but might, also, have been bought ou Sunday; He had also stated that Prohibition orders in Patea were a farce. Mr Hammond then referred to the press of the colony, and said he was remarking on the miserable reports given in the N. Z. Times of their proceedings, when ho was told that one of the largest shareholders in the company Avas a brewer, and he thought a great many of the Ngav Zealand papers were beer-logged —not Avater-logged—and he Avas just a little afraid that the local press dare not speak out as it ought to do on temperance, but Avas rather afraid of the liquor question. He admitted, however, that at times things were said on temperance questions Avith more zeal than discrestion. Mr Hammond then closed his address Avith a reference to the effect (from the Temperance Party’s point of view) on the unemployed question which Prohibition Avould have.

In reply to a question, Mr Hammond said Mr Seddon had promised them what had been arranged before, that the Natives should have their rents paid in their pahs, iu which the Public Trustee had concurred. Ho should now take this position The police would* be on the alert now to run in any Maoris who were drunk, so as to let them see what their friend Mr Hammond bad done for them, and he (Mr II.) would proceed against every publican who made such Maoris drunk. The chairman having asked for any questions or remarks from anyone in the audience. Mr T. E. Hamerton said, addressing tho Kev Mr Hammond: You stated “ a great many of the New Zealand papers were beer logged—not water-logged—-and I am just a little afraid our local press dare not speak out as it should on Ternyemwe, Slit is afraid the lienor fraf?

fief 9 Do you intend to infer that the local paper is “ beer-logged ?” Mr Hammond: No! Mr Hamerton: Well, your sentence reads ambiguously. ' Mr Hammond: I will let the audience answer the question whether you have not said mere against temperance than in favour of it ? A few answered, “ yes,” and no one sai& “no,” [so Ave have to understand, on tMm' authority of the Eev Mr Hammond, that when a paper does not say more in favour of teetolism than against it; it is to be dubbed “ beer-logged,” no doubt a very just and Christianlike deduction from a temperance point of view. ] # The resolution was then put and earned. A number of gentleman were then proposed as a Comaiitee, including Mr Aitchison and the the Eev Mr Beattie, but those two gentleman declined to act, the Eev Mr Beattie considering there were already too many different kinds of Temperance Societies, and he could not assist to form another, although a strong supporter of total abstinence. Eventually, Messrs Gower, W, Howitt (jua), Eev Hammond and Mr Williams were elected a committee to further the temperance movement. A vote of thanks to the chair closed tha proceedings.