WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12497, 25 March 1909, Page 2

WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION.

[United Press Association.] ti w Wellington., Marc -24. lhe Women's Christian Temperance Union resumed its annual conference yesterday. _ Officers were elected as follows — President, Mrs Cole, Christchurch : .Vice-presidents, Mrs A: T. Large and Airs A. R. Atkinson; Corresponding Secretary, Mrs Powell, Dunedin; Recording Secretary, Mrs Mitchell Invercargill; Treasurer, Mrs J. McCombs. Resolutions were proposed protesting against the indignity put upon nohcense districts, which have to submit to the trade" advertisements upon the walls of the railway stations, while license electorates were not allowed to have no license advertisements • and against, the business of the country being suspended on account of race meetings. At the evening session a resolution was passed in favour of the bare majority at local option polls. A" deputation representing the Women s Christian Temperance Union waited upon the Minister of Educatiou to-day, with a request that scientific temperance teaching should be made a compulsory subject in public schools Thf. Minister in replying, -pointed out that tiie deputation apparently did not realise that the. subject was a.U ready compulsory. He quoted from the syllabus, for Standards 3 to 5 to show that the moral instruction had to be given— moral instruction relating to the body and mind, and "temperance in eating and drinking," and evil and unhealthy subjects." If the work was not being done in the schools the syllabus was not being carried out. The Minister had no" more power -to enforce the syllabus than the President of the W.C.T.U., and. Parliament would not give "that power. : '