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White Ribbon, Volume 1, Issue 3, 1 September 1895, Page 5

Invercargill Union. — Miss Reynolds, Secretary to the W.Y.W.C.A., recently visited Invercargill, and gave a lecture and an address under the auspices of the Union. Blenheim Union. —During the winter months Saturday evening “ socials ” have been held and have been decidedly popular. The Reading-room is very attractive, with bright fire, piano, etc. Mrs Rose, Secretary, held a drawing-room meeting, at which some 40 visitors assembled. The proceeds were devoted to reduction of the debt on the rooms, piano, etc. Happily this debt bids fair soon to be a thing of the past. Mr Buick, M.H.R., has helped by giving a series of lectures, illustrated by songs, duets, etc. Dunedin. —At the general meeting the Federation proposal was discussed and negatived. Mesdames Kirkland and Dick were appointed a deputation to wait on the authorities arranging

forthcoming intercolonial congress, asking for a deliverance on “ Alcohol as a Medicine.” Miss Sears was appointed to take charge of work in connection w'ith Children’s Temperance Societies. Miss Nicol read a report of her work in and distributing literature on the unfermented wine department. At the Sailors’ Rest recently Mr and Mrs Falconer were presented with a purse of sovereigns as a token of love and appreciation of work. Seamen were present from every vessel in port. Christchurch. —At the general meeting, a committee was appointed to arrange for celebrating the anniversary of our enfranchisement. A delegate was also appointed to confer with members of other societies as to holding a public meeting to protest against action of Legislature in dealing wbh repeal of C.D. Acts, raising age of consent, and extension of time during which a girl who has been wronged may apply for redress. Wellington.—A meeting, under the auspices of the Union, was held at Johnsonville (a township about eight miles from Wellington on the West Coast), on Monday evening, September 2. The President and several members went out from town, and addresses, songs, and recitations were given. A very profitable evening was spent, and tiiirteen pledges were taken. At the monthly business meeting it was decided to arrange for a series of cottage meetings. The Relief Superintendent reports having held a sewing class for poor children, who were afterwards allowed to take home the garments they had made. Another department of work the “Unfermented Wine ” —has now been taken up. One new member was proposed. Temperance Convention, Invercargill. —All the meetings held in connection with the Convention have been very successful. A large number assembled at the open-air meeting on the Saturday night, and the theatre was filled on the following evening by an appreciative audience Mr F. Graham (Dunedin) said that he and others had been accused of placing Temperance before Christianity. This was not true. They believed that loyalty to Christ necessitated fighting against strong drink. He said that it was impossible to regulate the drink traffic. The meetings held on the Monday and Tuesday were well attended, and much interest was manifested in them by the general public.

SUBSTANCE OF MISS KIRK’S ADDRESS-

Within the memory of many is the Crusade of 1873, when saloons were banished from 230 towns and villages, saloon-keepers were converted, and beer-barrels were smashed in, and their contents poured into the gutters. But while three

barrels were being emptied, three thousand were being filled ; saloons were closed, but others opened. Hence arose the idea of organisation—the sober second thought of the Crusade. The first department of work organised was the evangelistic, which is the mother department. Then one thing after another was added, till now the “ do everything ” policy of the Union is universally acknowledged. One of the most successful departments is that of scientific Temperance instruction in schools, of which the enthusiastic superintendent is Mrs Mary H. Hunt, erstwhile Professor of Chemistry. As the result of her toil in America, all the territories and forty-one out of the forty-four States include scientific Temperance instruction in the regular school work. If we teach the children of to-day, the adults of to-morrow are with us. In New Zealand, Temperance works are scheduled, and in some schools are used. The Minister of Education, during an interview, offered to schedule any other more suitable books, and expressed himself in favour of such teaching. The great point just now is tu elect Tempernce committees, who will place Temperance instruction on the syllabus. But we need to make it a pass subject. The teachers must be competent to teach it. A few leaves in a “ Reader ” will not content us; we take gratefully all we can get, and ask for more. In New Zealand, juvenile work is being carried on in the form of L.T.L.’s, cooking classes, sewing class, etc. Literature : the W. C. T. U. does not forget Neal Dow’s advice, “ to sow knee-deep in literature.” In Chicago the Women's Temperance Publishing Association has 90 employes, 85 of whom are women—who, by the way, are paid at exactly the same rate as men. Here in N.Z,, the Canterbury Union has its own page in the Prohibitionist ; while the N.Z. Union has recently ventured on the publication of the little White Ribbon paper Other departments of work are flower missions ; gaol visiting, rescue work, Sabbath observance ; anti-narcotic; work among sailors, Chinamen, and Maoris; the organised protest against sin ; and the Franchise Department. The oldest M.H.R. acknowledged, the other day, that the women’s victory in New Zealand was largely the result of the efforts of W.C.T.U. women, with Mrs Sheppard at their ;iead. And now, “ What lightning is to the oak, so will woman s vote be to the liquor traffic.” It is noteworthy that the women’s electorate is the first instance of a newly enfranchised class setting to work to educate itself. Power to its remotest particle its duty. Power to prohibit the liquor traffic argues an imperative duty so to do. While we pray, work and hope for Prohibition, we take thankfully all we can get in the way

of restriction—glad of a reduction in the number of licenses, of restricted hours of sale, of Sunday closing, of laws regarding selling to minors and drunkards. But reduction is not the goal we have set before us. Prohibition of the individual by himself, and of the legalised sale of intoxicatin': liquors as beverages in the country, by a vote of the majority of the adult inhabitants, is our object. Alcohol is not helpful to any vital process. .Sir Andrew Clarke says : “ Perfectly good health will, in my opinion, always be injured by even small doses of alcohol, injured even in the sense of its perfection of loveliness. I call perfect health the loveliest thing in the world. Now, alcohol, even in small doses, will take the bloom off, will injure the perfection of lovliness, both mental and moral.” The appetite for alcoholic drink is cumulative. “ Your honor’s given me a glass of beer, and it’s made another man of me, and the other man wants a glass.” It is of no use trying to form a total abstinence society of drunkards alone. Rise from the selfishness of petty indulgence, and dare to stand on what you know to be the side of righteousness! “Falter who must, follow w r ho dare ! ” Take courage from the signs of the times. Lord Churchill says, “ The instincts of people are on the side of sobriety.” The people’s majority for Prohibition in Canada was 132,000. The Liquor Dealer’s Association, met lately in Toronto, requested permission to call on the Mayor, but received the unexpected answer that he had no time to give to an association the objects of which, in his judgment, were contrary to the best interests of the people.