Corresponding Secretary’s Report.

White Ribbon, Volume 5, Issue 57, 1 March 1900, Page 4

Corresponding Secretary’s Report.

Pear Sisters, —Another year has railed away, and once more we gather around the table to compare notes and take counsel together with a view to the more efficient conduct »>f the grand work which God has entrusted to our cire. We meet this year in the loveliest city of this lovely land. Hut everything in life has its drawback and the surrounding beauty has to compensate us for the smallness of our numbers, the geographical position of Auckland rendering it almost impossible for our Otago and Southland Unions to send delegates. The past year has witnessel a fight which for fi 'teenoss has been unequalled in the history of New Zealand Temperance work. Our opponents have put their whole strength into the field, and have succeeded so far as to have averted the closing of the licensed bars in any fresh locality.* At the same time the outlook for the Colony is most encouraging. For the first tim * we are able with any certainty t) report progress, because for the first time the Local Option Poll has been taken under precisely similar conditions (legislatively) as the previous one. And wh it are tli * results ? While the liquor party have increased their vo*e by 1.1 >7, we have made a magnifi vnt advance of 22, IJOO. So that with glad and thankful hearts we may raise our Ebenezer and say, “ liithorto hath the Lord helped us.” We have no reason to complain of the pa t wh ch our WhiteRibb *ners played daring the contest. They have worked nobly, a vast amount of work having been done by them which cannot be chronicled as Union work because it has b on cirried on in connection with and under the auspices of the local Prohibition Leagues. At public meet ings our members have been well to the front with their as istance, whde in many localities the housf -to-house canvas and the taking of pledges has been left almost entirely in their hands. So if some of the reports sent in look somewhat meagre we know the reason. The pluck of s une of our smaller Unions is to be great'y admired. In the country there are difficulties to contend with which are unknown to town workers, and I open some of the reports with a quailing heart to be cheered by sentences such as the following : —“ We find it very difficult to get a meeting at all, everybody is so bu-y and the roals are oft* n so bad, but u**j mean to hold on !” Throe cheers for these brave sisters; worthy descendants are they of their crusade mothers. Two ofth. se weak Unions have died a natural death. Levin Ins been singularly unfortunate in tha f both president and secre ary have been absent from homeforsevera' months. Hokitikal aion 1 found almost defunct when visiting there in May. We managed to revive it a little, but I regret to lean it has now succumbed. The branch formed at Westport never really got a footing, the surrounding atmosphere being too much for it. Only those who have visited the West Coast can form any idea of the extreme difficulty of keeping a TempeianoeSociety alive in the face of the adverse influences at work. It is therefore extremely gratifying to fin l the Greymouth Union in such a thoroughlyhealthy and vigorous condition, and to note that its auxiliary at Reef ton, organized last June^

* Reduction carried Jin, at least, two other district*, but the trade have taken * pal pro,“ceding to uj«et the el*s;tion, and uo bars ha/e yet been closed. Many localities have carried U dcction, and even Prohibition, but as th«-y only form part of a Licensing district, the wishes of th * voters could not fciveii effect tj Ed. White Ribbon.

appears to have inherited the sound constitution of its mother and has already done excellent work. The Union at Woodville was reorganized by Mrs Harrison Lee and bids fair to do well.

I have groat pleasure in recording the tact that seventeen new Union* have been formed, more than half of wliich owe their existence to the conscientious efforts of Miss Maunder in the South Island. This year has been remarkable for a larger increase in our numbers than has ever taken place before, our European Membership totalling 1(510 as against 1232 la it year, an advance of 37H. Instead of one Y.P. we have three, Greymouth having organized at Coblen, and Napier at Tara dale ; total meinbership9o, an increase of 67. L.T.L. members 229, increase 3*5. Feilding Hand of Hope has enrolled 105 additional members, making a total of 357, and Waianawa, one of Miss Maunder’s infants, has a Hand of Hope numbering 28; while at Christchurch, Wanganui, Petone and Auckland girls’ sewing classes are carried on. We have also 87 brothers enrolled as honorary members. As r *gards in onbership Auckland heads the list with 88, Wellington with 81 is following after, while close behind comes Christchurch with 81. R ingiora has broken the record by more than quadrupling its numbers, last yew’s 10 having been exchanged for 44. It is matter for congratulation that many Unions—even some quite small ones—are beginning to realize the necessity f< r meeting weekly or at least fortnightly. Napier has held the largest number of ordinary meetings while Auckland carries off the honours as regards pledge taking having secured 191. The total number of pie Iges reported is 500, but this is considerably below tne real nuinbor, as our White-Ribboner* have been busy at many meetings where no record of numbers has t een kept. I earnestly hope that this work will not be allowel to languish during the present year. White-Rib 1 on work is always branching out in unexpected directions and several new departures hive to be chronicled. Auckland carried to a successful issu** its Kiosk at the Exhibition, realising thereby the sum of iHI. It also forme la Snowdrop Hand to promote Social parity among girls, and carried on openair meetings for some weeks before the election. Hamilt n—just a year old—has been endeavour.ng to p rstiade store-keepers to stock unfenaeuted win*. Napier worked up a pr cession c:‘ 400 children, giving a prize for the neatest banner made entirely by a child. I'urakina held «» social in aid of Ihe New Zealand Allijnce. Marton has held the first Medal Contest, at, example which sh .uld be followed by m iny other branches. Ashburton, realising the temptations presented by the sli ling door between the ladies wait ng-room and Railway refreshment room endeavoured to get this removed, but in v.iin. Leeston has been giving scientific temperance demonstrations in the neighbouring country places. Kaiapoi, just after the last Convention, succeeded in starting a Young People’s No-License League, which, with a membership of 50, has done excellent work. Greymouth has formed an anti-opium League, an f N iseby, a little country Union, supplies literature to a neglected country distiict.

It his often been said that “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world,” and certain it. is that the best way to secure the future is to inflm nee those who have the training of the young. Mothers’ meetings are being held regularly in the following localities : —Wan ganui, IV tone, Midhutst, D.inevirke, Leeston. Hlenheitn, Dunedin, and by the newly organized

branch at Waikari. Home meetings have been held by the new Unions at Gore and Bunnythorpe, as well as in some older districts, and are still a prominent feature of the work at Napier. The blessed influences set .n motion by the effort expended upon the Sailors R?slg will last through all eternity. Our Dunedin sisters still retain their interest in “ those who go down to the sea in ships.’’ Titnaru also expends much of its energy in this direction and has this year paid off the debt on the new building. Devonport and Greymouth regularly distribute literature ou the snips in port. New Plymouth continues to advertise the W.C.T.U. and provide rest and comfort for many a weary frame through the medium of®‘*vho waitingroom in the town-hall; supplies “On the Line ” to 21 railway m*m, and has raised nearly jE2S for the Prohibition Leaguo Campaign Little Waitara has successfully resisted the introduction of “ eleven o’clock licenses.” Like its mother it keeps a maternity-bag circulating. Taranaki air seems to be favourable to the study of hygiene, the only two Unions reporting woik in this department (Christburch excepted) Wing Stratford and the baby at T iriki. Ngaire is great at concerts. Some time ago this br.nch thereby helped the Maori woik and it has now adopted this method of raising funds for helping the poor. Hawcra—some months ago—formed a Somerset Union at Okaiawa : this has now decided to work as an auxiliary and we have much pleasure in adding its name to our list. Wellington is doing a grand work iu its Girl’s Institute, having received financial assistance from Colyton, Wanganui and Palmerston North. Christchurch still retains its many activities, among which may be mentio .ed the Coffee rooms, Booth at the Showgrounds, Page in the Prohibitionist, and a number of harassing resolutions sent in to M.H.R’s etc. Lyttelton still cirries on its good work among neglected girls. Kaiapoi coffee-rooms still carry on their useful work. Of th.i now Unions Ocean Beach seems to be successful in getting hold of the joung men and Waianawa of the young women, who number 9 out of the 19 nu mbers. Good promise for the future there ! Winton, also formed duirng Miss Miunder’s organizing tour, has had encouraging results in the Department of unferuiented wine. Invercargill still does excellent work among girls in the Victoria Home. It expended a great deal of energy in preparing for Miss Maunder’s vi.-it, and now reaps its re war 1 in the cluster of auxiliaries by which it is surrounded.

During the past year we have had exceptional advantages and the inertase in membership is only what ought to be expected. Mrs Harrison L e spent nearly twelve months in our Colony, during which time she spared no effort in furthering the interests of the work. She proved herself a worthy exponent of W.C. I’.U. methods, while her winning addresses won many hundreds to vote for No-License. Miss Maunder gave three months of brive effort to the South Island, while both your New Zealand Secretaries have also been in the fi* Id, as well a =5 n number of “ brothers-'n-law ” sent out by the New Zealand Alliance. The danger now i3that the excellent results achieved may be in some measure lost for the want of the n cessary shepherding. This is just where our District organization should come in and in some cases, I am glad to say, does come in. Other District Unions have not, however, risen to their responsibilities, and auxiliaries sometimes report. “ We never hear fro n the District Union.” We are not overlooking the ditficul-

titß under which oven District Unions sometimes labour, but we know, too, that even a weak Mother Union will find her st'ength rent wed by occasional excursions into the country to visit and cheer the different members of the family. In addition to the new Unions alrealy mentioned, our standard has lately been nised in the following localities : —Woodend, Woolston, Palmerston South, Milton, Tup«.nui, Wallacetown, Nelson, Sanson, and Kongotea. Among older Unions the fallowing are holding on amid great difficulties and need special Cl re : _Oruiondvillo, Elthara, Foxton, Amberloy and Hrunner. I hope anyone who has an opportunity of visiting and cheering these Unions, or even of corresponding with them, will not fail to do so.

I gratefully record the valuable assistance rendered in my department by Miss Harnett, the Assistant Corresponding Secretary. Her prompt and business-like habits have made the work of the past year comparatively light, and set me free to attend to election matters.

We wish most heartily to thank those District Secretaries who have this year sent in such satisfactory reports. Several of these are simply admirable, giving in concise and busin* ss-like form all information respecting their local work and that of their auxiliaries. If these dear sisters knew the relief it is to handle a report of this sort they would feel amply repaid. Other District Secretaries have simply sent in a lord report, leaving the New Zealand Secretaries to —at the last moment —write or wire for auxiliary reports which should have been gathered up weeks before and included. It will be well it each District officer will cut out of last year’s Convention number the instructions ns to her duties and paste them into her minute book, or some other place where they w ill be constantly under her notice. It will bj a great help to both New Zealand and District Corresponding Secretaries if anyone organizing a new Union will at once advise them of the fact. Unless this is done a new Branch is simply a unit, floating in a sea of difficulties and doubt. Connect it with its District Union and head-quarters nnJ it at once realises that it is part of a great w hole, and that it ha* someone to turn to for counsel and advice. Either the assistant Corresponding Secretary or myself has personally greeted every Union formed during this busy year, but we bad to pick up our information promiscuously from the White Ribbon, sometimes after weeks or months had elapsed. Let us, dear Sitters, remember that we are a Woman’s Christian Temperance Union —Christian first and Temp ranee afterwards—and that our Evangelistic department stands first on the list. God is in our midst and therein lies the guarantee of our success. With glad thankfulness we record our gratitude for His leading in the past and our unwavering confidence foi the future. He is our Captain in this fight “ for Gol and Home and Humanity,” and will sooner or later give us victory all along the bine. Let us at the commencement of this year of renewed activity, consecrate ourselves afresh to His Service, leaving Him to choose where and how we shall labour for Him and with prompt obedience obeying His call.

Yours in the Highest Service. Mart 8. Powell Deports received since writing the above show that Gisborne is doing an exc llent work ln the recently established coffee-room, to which a free reading-room is attached. It is hoped that this enterprise will shortly become

self-supporting. Pung.irehu (New Plymouth)* which ha 3 been in a low state for some’ime, has been re-organized, and promise! well. It is with much regret that I leirn that our work has ceased to exist in Pahiatua and Waimate. Amberley has decided to cease to exist as a branch of the Union and to work in connection with the newly formed No License Leigue. We wish them all success, and shall hope to welcome them lack into our ranks in the future. M.S.P. Auckland, February 15, 1900.