INCREASING NUMERICALLY.

White Ribbon, Volume 39, Issue 465, 18 June 1934, Page 1

INCREASING NUMERICALLY.

(A (taper read at Wanganui District Convention.) On looking Imck over the years, since the Women’s Christian Union was first formed in New Zealand, one cannot be anything but appalled at the standstill attitude towards the temperance question. not only in Wanganui but throughout New Zealand. Nor is this state of affairs peculiar to the W.C.TU., but kindred societies have the same sad tale to tell. It Is not the purpose of this paper to attribute blame hut to try to And the causes for this halt, also a remedy. We are a.band of Christian women with an ideal that should appeal to women. Every one who has felt the redeeming power of our Lord and Saviour can subscribe to our motto. “For God and Home and Humanity.” And yet we must admit that we have*

not advanced nuim ncu)l> as we should have done. I think one reason is, that we luive allowed seeming defeat to ol> scure our vision and have forgotten that one on the side of God can never l>e in the minority. When th*- great t.glit began in New Zealand the need was very apparent Every tow n had a very large number of hotels, many of which weie simply drinking shops, eleven p.m. licenses were the order of the day. All the attendant degradation and evil resulting from the sale of intoxicants, the suffering of women an 1 children, the povert\ stricken homes, where often the furniture, even the clothes, were sold for drink, was very apparent. The poverty of unemployment w hich we all deplore, and rightly so, is not to be compared with the misery of the habitual drunkard's home. So well did the veterans in the temperance cause do their work, that now what is familiarly known as the “Trade” has become outwardly so respectable that unthinking people undeceived. No question is ever settled till it is settled right, and the ver\ seeming respectability of the liquor traffic is our greatest danger. Satan as an angel of light is more deadly, than in his true colours, and we should tak** heed of this. We pledge ourselves to fight till death or victory. There can l»e no complete victory till our Saviour comes to reign, so for us it must l>e a fight that shows no quarter. Another cause for our standstill position is that we have allowed our disappointment at not gaining total abolition of the liquor traffic to blind outeyes, and instead of going forward, we have retreated. We have not realised the true nature of the fight or the strength and determination of our enemy. We have grow r n weary, perhaps unconsciously, in well-doing. We are disappointed Because America will probably repeal the 18th Amendment

hut it is now some years since th‘» “World rail.” A well-known missionary paper in the United States issued a warning note in toward to the lark of temperance teaching in schools and colleges. Christian camps and other Catherines of young people. Have not we in New Zealand made this same mistake, while much of the temptation to elder people has l»een removed. we have neglected to educate our young folk. If we have done our duty to the children, why this persistent cry about the amount of alcoholic liquor drinking among the young people? We are pledged to fight till death or victory Have we counted the cost? I>o we realise that there cannot l>e victory till Jesus comes to reign, and then reward will only he to those whose lamps are trimmed and burn-ng? One very familiar complaint we hear is: Your meetings are so uninteresting, we feel we have wasted our afternoon Apparently the blame is attributed to those who officer the meetings, but 1 would like to point out that every mem her of the Union should have a sense of responsibility and make a contribution to its success. We are not all talented in the same way, but everyone has a talent. Our Saviour teaches us by parable. that it is a previous sin to waste our talents or opportunities for service A cheerful smile and a warm handshake can do a lot to brighten a meeting; a little word of love to some one in tiouble and finding the way hard We can tell the leader of the devotional period we have enjoyed her session Then there are so many departments of the work under 21 or more Superintendents. What an interest could he created if 21 sisters came with just one item of interest concerning a department. There are always orphanages and homes for the aged that we can help. We can do all In our power bv word and deed to discourage the sale of \rt Union tickets -even the schools now’ have their Art Unions to raise money. It seems t«» me that if we realised what a menace to the child these thing* are, we would be too much in earnest to he dull. Sisters, we should realise that we are making a stand against evils that ar° sending men and women to perdition, and searing, if not altogether ruining, the lives of little children. We do not meet for entertainment. That the meetings are not worth while is a suggestion of the evil one. Then there are our noontide devotions. Do we always remember as noontide comes round to pray for the work of the Union? Do we stop to tbuik that if there are only some faithful ones in every land a continuous rraver is ascending to the Father’s throne? Hut how much added power there would be if all were faithful in this service. Our Saviour when on earth was a kind and loving friend to women. He lifted them frem degradation to the portion the Heavenly Father intended them to have. “To whom much is forgiven the same ioveth much.”

We, at this distant time, cannot annoint our Sav our’s feet with costlv ointment, but we can be loyal to the work He has entrusted to us. l«et us confess that the gianrs of evil have made us feel like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and returning, use all our influence in the cause of righteousness till death or our Lord's return to reign A membership of 10,000 is our Jubilee aim. Shall we make the realisation of this our gift to Him Who died to redeem us, and give us an inheritance that passeth not away? We can, if we will in His strength, to Whom all things are possible. “This is my Father’s world, Oh, let me not forget That though the wrong seems oft, so strong, Ood is the ruler yet."