RECEPTION TO DR. MARY ARMOR.

White Ribbon, Volume 28, Issue 327, 18 September 1922, Page 4

RECEPTION TO DR. MARY ARMOR.

On Saturday evening, September 2nd,

;l Uirge and representative audience gathered in Wesley Church. Taranaki Street. Wellington, to welcome the dis-

tinguished Prohibition lecturer from America. The I>oniinion President. Mrs Don. Mrs Johnston Wright, I’resident of Wellington District Onion, and Miss Kirk. President of the Central Onion, represented the W.C.T.U., and the chair was taken by the Mayor, Mi R. A Wright. M.P. Tin* proceedings were opened with singing and prayer, after which the* Mayor, in the name of the City, welcomed the visitor. Mrs T>on. speaking on (behalf of the New Zealand W.O. T.P., referred to the thankfulness felt by New Zealand women that the difficutties that at one time threatened to prevent Dr. Armor from paying this visit had been cleared away. Brief addresses of welcome were given by Rev.

J. fViwson for the N.Z. Alliance, Rev. H. 10. Hell house for the Ministers’ Association, Mr W. J. Gaudin for the Rixhabites, Mrs Hett for the Good Templars, and by the two Presidents of the local Unions. The most characteristic welcome was that extended by Mrs Pomumati on behalf of the Maoris. Each peculiar detail required by Maori etiquette was carried out, gradual approach from a distance up the aisle, Maori greeting descriptive of voyage across the wide ocean, rhythmical gesticulation. brandishing of the mere, concluding with shrill, high-pitched song of welcome, in contrast with which was the eloquent, pathetic, yet dignified appeal on behalf of her people that the drink curse that was their ruin should be banished from their midst by a stroke of the pen. Dr. Armor, in reply, said she found it difficult to express till the gratitude she felt for the kind and hearty welcome given on nil isides to her, a stranger 1o them all. She felt that it was not to her personally the compliment was paid so much as to her country and her cause. She then referred to her own experience and work; having lived under varied conditions in municipalities, in States when wot and when dry', and finally under United States Prohibition, she felt she was more competent to speak than those who h;ui observed from a distance, and had but sn few months' experience. She had no personal end to achieve Iby her visit, but she came to tell them the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It was evident that the minister who liad recently spoken disimragingly of Prohibition in America knew little more sd>out it than could be written on his own visiting card. If people wished to know the fa<-ts of the case .they could not do better than mid the pamphlets and statements prepared by the N Z. Alliance, which gave a faithful and accuriiite picture America had gone dry gradually, the process being spread over 60 years, and it was no argument against Prohilnition to assert that <vrtain great men living in past cent urn's did not believe in it. They could not believe in a movement thktft had not yet begun any more than the> could Is lfieve in luedfe matches or aeroplanes. But the opposition to (Alcohol had grown stronger and more widespread with the pissing years, especially since Scientific Temperance Instruction had been given regularly and systematically

in the schools, and now the facts alwut this dangerous poison were universally known, there was not the slightest chance of tile United States voting itself wet again. Dr. Armor cone leak'd her masterly ad. dress by urging upon all the use of the four essentials in the recipe that would certainly produce victory: determination to Rmish the accursed evil from the country, education of the voters its- to the i'suits of Prohibition wherever it has been adopted, organisation as perfect as possible in every electorate, land prayerful consecration of themselves—time, money, energy, and wilbpower to the accomplishment of the great work they had been called to do in freeing the land from the evils of the Iviquor Traffic. Judging from past experienci in her own country, victory was in the air, and qhe fully expected to l>e cubic to rejoice with them all next December over the fact that New Zealand had gone dry After vo*e. of thanks to the Chairman and to the ladies who luul contributed rniLsica! items, the meeting was closed with the singing of the Doxology.