FROM THE WORLD'S CONVENTION.

White Ribbon, Volume 26, Issue 303, 18 September 1920, Page 10

FROM THE WORLD'S CONVENTION.

From the Report of the World’s Contention, published in the English “White Ribbon.” we cull the following: NEW ZEALAND’S CAMPAK IN. Mrs Don, the President of the New Zealand W.C.T.U., spoke at length on this campaign, explaining the drawbacks in connection with this prolonged campaign, which some expressed surprise had not been won ere this. She referred to the handicap of the three-fifths majority required. In 1911 they had a splendid majority, and really did win Prohibition, but could not enjoy it because the three-fifths majority was not quite reached. In 1911, another three years having elapsed, the war broke out, and in 1915, when a poll was expected, the Parliament, by prolonging its own life, took away the further chance. A large majority of their young manhood who cam n to fight left the Dominion as total abstainers; they returned home, not only’ mutilated by shot and shell, but because of having been in wet camps and taken alcohol as a stimulant in the trenches, had acquired a taste for it. The women of New’ Zealand were sorrier to see them returned in that condition or worse than seeing them mutilated by war, and they rose tip all over the Dominion and marched to Parliament asking for a war measure. They had begun by “snowballing” the House and the Ministers with every White Ribboner throughout the Dominion posting a letter or message to their respective Members. many messages being specially carried to th > House When the commercial men saw how alcohol was paralysing the life of the Dominion, they lined up with the Temperance people. Then Parliament arranged to have a vote on the compensation question, the argument being that life was priceless, and that if they could not g« t Prohibition without, then they would have it with compensation. Though they went to the poll thus heavily handicapped, those who were in the Dominion won Prohibition by a large majority, but misrepresentations were made in the campaign at the Rattle front amongst their soldiers, and jis the votes came in it was found they had let them down. Then came the next campaign, and when they went to Hie poll it was the triennial vote, with three issues to f. iC e—(l) Continuance, (2) State Pur-

chase, (3) Prohibition. Mrs Cowie had told them of the Campaign of Prayer that was organised throughout the Dominion. Amongst the tremendous issues they had to face was a surprise on the eve of the vote--a brief message came from opponents in the Motherland, “unlimited means at your disposal.” In spite of that handicap, again they carried Prohibition by a 5000 majority. Rut again the votes from the men overseas and on the ships bringing men l*a r, k after the Armistice was signed, showed they had lost by a small majority of 3262 votes. How keen was our disappointment! The vote for Continnuance was 241,251; for State Control, 32,261 —total 273,512, as against 270,?50 for '’rohibition. So near and yet so far away. Their great joy today was that the vote for State Purchase was so small. They were now confident that that issue would be wiped off the Statute Rook for ever. Six o’c lock closing had been made permanent, with many restrictions on “the trade,” and at the next poll they would have, as the* Americans had, two issues -wet or dry, license or no-license -the strong feeling being that they would turn out the liquor traffic from the Dominion once for all. (Applause.) Mrs Lee Cowie also spoke on the* position from the point of view of the individual worker, and her divine opportunities and duties.