The White Ribbon. For God and Home and Humanity. WELLINGTON, JUNE 18, 1924. A PAPER FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING.

White Ribbon, Volume 30, Issue 347, 18 June 1924, Page 6

The White Ribbon. For God and Home and Humanity. WELLINGTON, JUNE 18, 1924. A PAPER FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING.

m EVERYBODY'S DOING IT. I ring what? Why, you Rip Van Winkle, don't you know what every body's doing? Wake up! Wake up! Well, what are they doing? Why, of course they are canvassing for new subscribers for the “White Ribbon." Yes, and what is the “White Ribbon"? Now, you must be joking, surely. You have a sister, a neighbour, and a close friend, all members of the W.C T.U., one of them an officer, and you ask me

a question like that. Oh! 1 know all about the W.C.T.U. They wear a white ribbon, 1 know; but that’s not what you are talking about, is it? Come, you are too funny! Your sis ter takes the “White Ribbon.” It is a newspaper, the official organ of the W.C.T.U. 1 never knew your Union had a paper. How long have they had one? Why, it was first published in May, 189. r >. It was small at first, but under the capable management of Mrs Sheppard, it soon became an influence for good. It had the usual struggle with financial worry, but largely by the efforts of that veteran canvasser, Miss Powell, the subscribers' list steadily mounted up. Well, 1 am surprised. How is it doing now’? Its financial troubles are greatly lessened. Mrs Oldham, for five years Its Editor and Business Manager, by strict economy, left it free of debt. Our pre sent Editor and Business Manager took office in April, 1913. Mince then the subscription list has risen from about 1900 to closo on 3850. and it pays its way. Now we are making this drive, the time is ripe, and we mean to get 5000 subscribers. How is the drive progressing? Nobody has asked me to subscribe. Well, I’m doing that now. I’ve been helping our Business Manager send out circulars, and we’ve had most encouraging replies. I'm going to take it because you asked me, and I'd have taken it years ago if 1 had been asked. I admire your Union, but owing to family reasons can rarely attend meetings but 1 want to keep in touch with your many activities. I have faith to believe that the day is past when women like you will have to ask. What is the “White Ribbon”? Several Unions have divided their towns up, and are going to canvass every woman. 1 expect they’ll get a few refusals. To Ik* sure they will, hut our women are not easily daunted. We are the women “who tackle' the thing that can’t be done, and we do it! Yes, and you’ll do this thing if you ran enthuse your members to believe it ought to be done. But can you? A We can! T>ay by day our w’orkers realise the n*?ed of getting our facts

into the homes. Do you remember, when you were head milliner at Jones and Grady’s, the time the small hats came in, after everybody had been wearing large picture hats for years You remarked one day, “Sometimes the hats sell themselves, but this season we’ve got to sell them.” Now, our daily papers sell themselves. The politician wants to know what the Govern ment is doing; the sport wants news about his favourite game, and to know who is to represent New Zealand in the All Blacks tour; the* lady wants the fashion notes; the movie fiend wants to know what’s on at the pictures, and so on. ad lib. But though people don’t want to know how drink is ruining the land, and how the fight against it is going; how other lands are working out their own salvation under Prohibition, we know that they need to learn these facts, and we’re out to teach them. The men and women of Great Britain didn't want to know about Votes for Women, but women stood and sold their papers in the streets, and by this means educated F'ngland to give its women the vote. The very difficulty of the fight carried them to a greater victory than ours, and they have women M.P.’s in increasing numbers. Neal Dow said that Maine, the veteran Prohibition °tate of U.S.A., did not carry Prohibition until the State was sown knee-deep in literature. We are going to get our “Y’hite Ribbon," with Its helpful supp' ment for the children, into so many thousands of homes that It will create an atmosphere which, like the breath of a hot house, will ripen our lovely sweet peas. Peace, Prohibition. and Purity. May God bless and give you success. I'll promise to get you one subscriber a week while your drive lasts.