WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18787, 22 May 1923, Page 2

WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION

The usual monthly meeting of the Wanganui East • Branch of the W.C.T.U. was held in the St. Alban's Church. A vote of sympathy with Mrs Cljisholni and Mrs Frothy in the loss of a relative was passed by the members standing in silence. Correpondence from Miss Henderson, the Dominion secretary, re plans of work for new campaign, and from Miss Patterson, provincial secretary, re the Provincial Convention to be held in Hawera on June 6th and 7th. Mrs Duxiield was appointed delegate to the Hawera Convention.

It w’as announced that arrangements had been made to open a branch in Wanganui East of the i Loyal Temperance Legion, on Fri-1 day, 11th Inst. One new subscriber for the White i Ribbon was reported. Mr Aitken. J 8.A., delegate to the New Zealand i Alliance Convention, recently held in I Wellington, read his report of the ' proceedings. It was a full, lucid ami ; interesting account of the discussions j on the future plans of work, and was attentively listened to. After Mr j Aitken had answered numerous quos- | lions a very hearty v6to of thanks tn ' him was carried by acclamation. It was decided that future meet tngs of the local union be held in St. Alban’s Church, Jellicoe Street. "SHALL AMERICA GO BACK?” The following report of an address delivered by Commander Evangeline ! Booth, of the Salvation Army, was! read and greatly appreciated: "America has accomplished this | thing, and the eyes of the whole ' world are upon her. With the i votes of free men and free women ’ she has erected a new Statue of Lib ■ erty with which to lighten the whole I world. Is there any hand selfish j enough to put out the light, or to ; bring down that noblest of monu-' ments? Shall America Go Back?” I belong to an organisation that has never had a hesitating moment in 1 regard to the liquor evil,” she at- ! firmed with pride. "The Salvation Army represents the greatest temperance movement on the face of

the earth. Of all social welfare workers none are in as close relations to the victims of the drink trade as are those of our organisation. One of our officers who travels from sea to sea, holding meetings, says that in former days he usually had from eight to ten drunken men at his meetings. Since Prohibition came he has seen only two men in such condition in all of his meetings throughout the entire country. Something has happened. That something is Prohibition. Shall America go Back? Are those who arc opposing Prohibition prepared t > take upon their shoulders the enormous responsibility of again exposing their fellow-men to the terrible temptation and peril of the legalise! liquor traffic? Shall America go I Back? One of our superintendents in a slum settlement tells me that most of the fund for relief can now be given to widows. It used to go for cases caused by drunkenness. 1 We would get reports such as, ‘The baby has fallen from the lire escape,’ 'The baby has been smothered !•> bod.’ No such report has reached us during the last twelve months. Shall America go Back? Whereas formerly hundreds of victims of the saloon used to be sent to our Salvation Army homes a very different character of cases are comine under our caro now. Shall America go Back? Every branch of the Salvation Army unites in declaring the value of Prohibition economically. Many in our industrial homes who could not formerly hold a nickel two or three hours now have bank ae-j counts. Shall America go Back? ! . “Shall America go Back? Let us look at the handwriting upon the wall. The letters are badly formed, the words are poorly spelled. The message is simple but vastly comprehensive. It is faintly written, but never to be obliterated, for the pen that wrote it was wielded by the trembling hands of little children. It is the handwriting of the children across the walls of the great nation. You can hush every other voice of national and individual complaint; you may silence every other tongue, even of mothers of destroyed sons I and daughters, and of wives of pro- i fligate husbands; but let the children i speak—the little children, the I wronged children, the crippled chll-I dren, the abused children, the blind j children who never will see the blue ■ of the sky or the yellow of the but- ■ tercup, the imbecile children, the | deserted children, the beaten chi’- i dren, the nameless children, the' dead children. O, my God, this army i of little children. Let their weak voices, faint with oppression, cold and hunger, be heard. Let their little faces, pinched by want of gladness be heeded. Let their chall«&se„ though- made by small forms too mighty for estimate—be reckoned with. Let their writing upon the wall of the nation, although by tiny fingers, as stupendous as eternity, be correctly interpreted, and read that the awful robbery of the lawful heritage of their little bodies, minds and souls, is laid at the door of alcohol. Shall America go Dry? I hear the answer as the voice of many waters from tens of thousands of homes, from drunkards with manhood regained, from mothers whol are are now happy, from the sick :r. | the hospital, from the convict in his ■ cell, from the children in the schools, ! still on and on until the sound rises I to heaven and the redeemed ones' with shining faces before the throne [ all join in their silvery tones in a mighty chorus, ‘America shall Not go Back.’ ” LOYAL TEMPERANCE LEGION. This legion held its first meeting on Friday night in St. Alban’s Church, when Mrs Duxiield, the district organiser, was present and gave a very interesting address on the work of the Legion. It was decided to hold the next meeting in the same room on the 25th inst., when the ofU- I cers for the Division would be - elected.