Gospel Temperance Meeting.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5257, 13 May 1895, Page 4

Gospel Temperance Meeting.

The first of a eeriea oE Gospel temperance ipeetings proposed to be held on Sunday evtninga under' the auspices of the Christchurch Ministers' Association, was beldjin the Baptist Church last evening. There wai a large attendance. The Rev J, J. Doke occupied the chair, and the Eevs E. Erwin, W. Scorgie, J. Dawson and F. W. Iritt, and Mr G. J. Smith, M.H.8., occupied seats on the platform. Mr Smith said he understood that at these meetings the Bpeakera were to avoid politics altogether and confine themselves to Gospel temperance mission work. He congratulated the ministers of Chriatchurch upon taking up officially the Gospel mission work, and hoped that the meetings would be. the meanß of inducing more people to take an interest in the temperance movement. The Bey W. Scorgie spoke, urging the importance of the temperance movement. The Rev R. Erwin said that he hoped thefie meetings would help to forward Christian gentiment on the temperance question. In referring to the licensing law, he admitted that after the last licensing election there* had been an improvement in the administering of the law, bub that law was now being openly violated every day, and the authorities took no Bteps to enforce it. The Key F. W. laitt also spoke. To show that the liquor traffic waa decreasing in New Zealand, he stated that the drink bill for 1894 was 53 per head less than in any previous year in the history of the colony*