WHITE RIBBON DAY.

White Ribbon, Volume 33, Issue 406, 18 May 1929, Page 1

WHITE RIBBON DAY.

In 1884, Mary Clement Leavitt ram© to our shores, bringing with her, from beyond the seas, the early glow and warmth, the enthusiasm and the spiritual uplift of their wonderful Crusade movement. Here she found kindred spirits, and, in these far-off lonely isles of the Pacific, founded branches of the world’s great organisation of women for the protection of their homes, for the uplifting of humanity, and for the realisation of Cod’s Kingdom upon earth. They knew’ the Licensed Liquor Trade as the deadliest enemy of the home; that in home© where the income is small, it is usually the child who pays the Drink Bill. They knew it as an economic waste, that it never yet paid any country to have one citizen in goal because another citizen sold him whisky. They knew' that alcohol is a racial poison, that it iwisons the germs of life and sends the child into this w’orld marred and broken, a victim to the evil appetite of its parents, rhey knew that alcohol weakens a man’s resisting power and prepares the ground for tuberculosis and other diseases; that it lessens his efficiency; that it fills our prisons with persons who never would have become criminals, had not their : “Uses been clouded ai d their passions aroused by strong drink; that

it spreads red ruin upon our streets, because alcohol, as a beverage, is a menace to public safety Then. too. women have sense enough t*> know, that if the 80 tons of sovereigns, now spent on strong drink and filling the pockets of profiteers were spent upon food, clothes or luxuries, it would go largely into the pockets of the workers, doing away with much of our ever-recurring: unemployment trouble. But the difficulty was to make these facts know’n, for the public press w’ould not do so. Because som p people like strong drink, and others make money by its sale, there is a conspiracy of silence. In 1894 the W.C.T started its owm official organ, the “White Ribbon, to help train its officers and members in the special work of the Union, and to educate public opinion upon the evils of strong drink, to teach them that alcohol is unnecessary as a medicine and harmful as a beverage. It was a brave venture, and during Its early days of struggle, only the stare courage, the triumphant faith, and the magnificent devotion of that little band of women, enabled then) to carry on. By 1913 its financial outlook was brighter, and it came under its present management free of debt, and with asubscription list of over 1,800. This has uow grown to 4,750. A

Y.P. Supplement has been added for the help of our L.T.L’s. and Bands of Hope, and with this issue begins a four-page Supplement for our “Y.” branches. From its foundation it has been w’hollv edited and managed by women of the W.C.T.U. But the founders were women of vision. They also instituted a White Ribbon Day. Once a year on or near June 15th, every branch is asked to arrange a special meeting, at which they study the privilege of having an official organ and their responsibility in connection therewith. We believe firmly, that if the womanhood of New Zealand could visualise this land swept free from the Drink curse, they would rise in their strength and wipe it out of existence. Many reasons have been given for our failure to win prohibition last year. But the fundamental reason was that prohibition was not a live issue at last Poll. Why w'as it not? Because temperance workers had foiled to talk prohibition, think prohibition, pray for prohibition, publish prohibition’s victories. We have time to remedy that before next Poll. Every time you ask a woman to join the W.C T.l . or to subscribe to its official organ, you are planting a sted. Nature is prodigal of her seeds, many never come to fruition. Sow seeds plentifully,

and you will reap an abundant harvist at the next Poll. Sow in Faith: go after your 1,000 new subscribers, believing that they will be won. (let a better mental attitude. Take to heart the words of General Joffre: “You cannot lose until you have quit fighting. You may lose trenches, or cities, or divisions, but you have not lost the battle until you have lost heart. Are we downhearted? A thousand times, No! No! The set-back of last year is a call to service and to sacrifice. When Garibaldi sent out his call to arms after the fall of Rome, he said he asked from them only love of Italy and faith in her; he promised only bread and water, could not promise even a grave. Yet his response was 4.000 men on foot, and 000 on horse. Last Convention sent out its call to service and sacrifice for a forward movement. White Ribbon Day is a fine opportunity to start our campaign and win our 1,000 new subscribers. Some may say, “impossible.” We reply in the words ol a great leader, “Impossible! is that all. well let’s get to work.” “When we think of the women in the days long ago, Tramping about in the slush and the snow, When the task they tackled seemed hopeless at best, When they did what they could and asked God for the rest, Ix't us not forget to pray ”