W.C.T.U.

Southland Times, Issue 19553, 18 May 1925, Page 7

W.C.T.U.

SOUTHLAND DISTRICT UNION. HOLDS QUARTERLY MEETING. The quarterly meeting of the W.C.T.U, District Union was held in the Baptist Church, Gore, on Friday. There were present 19 delegates from the Invercargill Unions, and the Unions of Wyndham, Mataura, and Ryal Bush were also represented. GENERAL BUSINESS. The quarterly report was read and approved of. Attention was drawn to the necessity for having a municipal rest room established at Invercargill for women and children. Mention was made of the fact that " the W.C.T.U. hacj been instrumental in getting a St. Helen’s Hospital established at Invercargill, and to mark the occasion of the 1000th mother in the home the baby was presented with a silver mug by th® W.C.T.U. Central Union.

Interesting information in regard to rest rooms in the Dominion was given by Mrs Fairburn and Miss Hardie and the plans and methods followed at Hastings were generally approved of. The following resolution was unanimously passed on the motion of Mrs E. C. Smith (President of Gore W.CT.U.) “That the Invercargill Town Council be urged to erect a rest room for women and children at Invercargill.” This was seconded by Mrs (of Wyndham). After several speakers had spoken in regard to the necessity of a rest room, it was decided to forward this resolution to the Town Council, and that the matter be brought up at the District Convention. The resolutions—“ That a local board of control should be established for mental hospitals” and “That the statements made by Dr Fox, of the Christchurch Hospital, are one-sided and show the kind of justice that would be meted out to women if a compulsory notification act were passed,” were agreed to. It was decided to forward this remit to the National Council of Women. “That a universal compulsory Dominion superannuation fund should be established with a maximum and minimum allowance.”—This resolution was endorsed by the meeting and carried enthusiastically. The Treasurer reported that the Union’s credit balance amounted to £l9 12/6.

ADDRESS BY MRS DON. At the afternoon session Mrs Don delivered an enthusiastic and interesting address on the jubilee conventions in America. In 1874 the first W.C.T.U. was formed in America, and the result after 50 years’ work has been national prohibition in America and a re-affirmation of the 18th Amendment. The women of America were « determined to see the law carried out, and many of them who were not pledged abstainers, since prohibition had been carried, were determined to see that law enforcement was carried out. For five years preparations had been made for holding the great jubilee convention, and each of the 48 States held a convention of its own and each town in the State held its own local one, and for months there was great jubilee rejoicing. All kinds of courts were visited—children's courts, juvenile courts, domestic courts for patching up matrimonial differences, and the higher courts in the land. Gaols were visited and the cages for prisoners described. Before Prohibition was carried the places were full every morning, but the majority of places were now empty, only one cell being occupied with drug addicts, who were not the result of Prohibition being carried, but had been coming backwards and forwards for years. Mrs Don visited one of the lowest and commonest saloons in San Francisco, which now had been turned into a clean eating house, where nourishing luncheons were provided for working men. Mrs Don had the honour of speaking to Congress in the State of Georgia, and the cheering and applause which greeted her mention of the name of Dr Mary Armour was tremendous. Washington and the New England States were also visited and everywhere the wonderful effects of Prohibition were seen. One of the largest breweries in the United States wan, after Prohibition was carried turned into a gigantic malted milk factory. One of the inebriate homes, the largest in America, four years after Prohibition was carried, instead of sheltering thousands, held only 20, and was turned into a State farm. The benefits of Prohibition to children were shown time and again. Groups of children from former slum areas were brought to the meetings, and these beautiful, welldressed children gave exhibitions and demonstrations, and before Prohibition was carried these same children had had to be cared for' by benevolent people and societies. Model temperance lessons demonstrating the evil of strong drink and its effects upon the human body were given at public meetings to show how temperance instruction was given in the public schools, and were splendidly illustrated. To show how Americans appreciate the value of keeping the body clean, every single room in an apartment house must by law have a bathroom and lavatory attached. Commandant Evangeline Booth, in an interview, told of the crowds that used to patronise their eating houses and stand in queues waiting for tickets, and to-day the people who stood there are now buying their own apartment rooms and houses. Since Prohibition was carried the number of State schools had proved insufficient. The children are not kept at home for want of boots and clothing, and the attendance has improved wonderfully. Mrs Don referred at length to the benefits of Prohibition, and the necessity for securing this reform in New Zealand. Votes of thanks to the speaker and to the Gore ladies tor their hospitality concluded the business. At Milne’s Tea Rooms on Thursday evening a number of local young people met Mrs Don at tea, when, in an inspira - tional address, she put forward an urgent request for their active support in the forthcoming election, expressing the belief that with the whole-hearted co operation of the women and those who voted for the first time, victory would be assured.