THE RECEPTION

White Ribbon, Volume 19, Issue 3, 1 April 1947, Page 3

THE RECEPTION

The Pitt Street Bi-Centenary Hall fairly well filled for the Official Reception to delegates, held on the Wednesday evening, March sth. Very good arrangements had been made, and as the Dominion Officers, with Mrs. Mountjoy, Auckland District President, and Mr. and Mrs. Fortune went forward, a pleasant feeling of friendliness prevailed everywhere. Beautiful sprays of flowers, nicely suited to the dresses of the »ecipients were presented from the hostess union, and a very gay effect was produced. Mrs. Mountjoy, after the opening, by the singing of the National Anthem and the offering of prayer, welcomed the delegates in a brief pithy speech, hoping that all would enjoy the Convention, and that good work would be done. After the playing of a very fine duet, Mr. W. H. Fortune, M.P., welcomed the Convention to Auckland. m

ADDRESS GIVEN BY MR. W. FORTUNE, M P. WELCOME TO DELEGATES After expressing pleasure in welcoming the members of Convention to Auckland and explaining that owing to absence from the City, His Worship the Mayor, Mr. Allum, was unable to perform this duty. Mr. Fortune went on to say that all sections of the community, even though they might not always agree with their views, knew that the V\ L.l .U. served no selfish interest, but was concerned very vitally with the physical and moral welfare of the manhood and womanhood of this young nation. “The protection of our Youth is a most serious duty/' said the speaker. “It is, in fact, a solemn charge, and never was it more urgent or necessary than to-day. Ever since man, in some bygone age, discovered that process of fermentation by which sugar is converted into alcohol, and experienced the intoxicating effects of the liquor so produced, there lias been a temperance question. From the remotest times, efforts have been made to combat the vice of drunkenness. Though always a had thing, it was never so had as in our own time and in our own western land". The abuse of light wines and beverages is bad enough, hut the unrestricted use of distilled "pints i" devastating in its effects.’’ The speaker outlined the early beginnings of organised effort to combat the evil in the latter part of the eighteenth century; and the gradual growth oi a public conscience in regard to it. Societies were formed as tar hack a* 1800, the movement making rapid progress through the influence of the churches. In 1863. over 6,0(X) societies with an aggregate membership of pver 1.000,000 meml>ers were functioning in the several state", while a "imilar.interest was being manifested in the United Kingdom. In our time, the W.C.T.V is internationally organised. It i" the knowledge of the terrible effects of the evil against which we are working that causes women to give so much of their time for no reward hut that of a clear

conscience, and the knowledge that legislation has lieen materially influenced by this devotion to a great cause. Shaking of the educational needs of the time. Mr. Fortune urged a greater use of the Cinematograph in this field, claiming that the enemy would make use of it if we did not. Continuing, he said: “The youthful mind is very open to suggestion. We remember our own experience. Never shall I forget the influence of a godly home, and those early Band of Hope days—they are indelibly impressed. When overseas, I pitied the tnen whose only relief from boredom was to be found in excessive drinking, and that was particularly true of some troops. The> simply drank to get drunk, and openly said so. There was something fundamentally wrong with theirs foundations. If the foundation are wrong, what of the superstructure v ’ Mentioning the slow retrogression in the matter of the sense of responsibility, which is apparently decreasing in* relation to our fellow's, lie said the “Am 1 my brother’s keeper” attitude was becoming more general. “If he wants to go to the devil, let him go” is the j>ositioti taken up by many. Can an\ honourable man fail in the duty of helping his weaker brother? asked Mr. Fortune.

“Our children to-day do not enjov the privileges we enjoyed. They are living in a largely pagan age, accentuated and aggravated by two world conflagrations, with all their evil influences. The ultimate result will be seen in irreligious parents—then, what of the next generation ? The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Anything that can he done to help in the strengthening of the moral vigour of our Youth must not he left undone. It is our sacred trust. Because you are gathered in such a spirit of vour conference, because you have as vour only dc+ire the welfare, moral, physical, and spiritual. 1 more readily bid you welcome to Auckland, and pray God’s richest blessing on all your deliberations.”

So ended an encouraging and ni"pirit ing address. Greetings were received, presented b\ representatives of the various organi"atiotis, from the Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist Church Guilds and Mi>sionar\ Unions, also a special otic came from Mrs, Stevenson, wife of the Bishop oi Nelson; one from the Educational Association, and an amusing welcome from Mr. Falkner, Alliance Secretary.

Mrs. Rattray gave elocutionary items, and then Mis> Kirk made her reply to the welcomes offered. After thanking the mam "peaKtr-* who had sjHjken so kindly, Mi"" Kirk went on to give the reason" v by the W.C.T.I stood firm for their great objectives. These were Firstly. Because drink i" such a terribly strong factor, dotroying all that is l>est in life. Begimyng with those engaged in the traffic—what qualification* are essential? A lack of conscience is one. The knowledge of the harm they are helping to do would make it impossible for them to carry on unless they had hushed the voice of conscience. Lloyd Garrison said :—“God

is niv witness, that great as is my detestation of slavery and the slave trade, I would rather he a slave-holder, yes, a kidnapper upon the African Coast than sell this jioison to my .fellow-creatures tor common consumption. Si-rce the creation of the world, there has l>een no tryant like intemperance, and no slaves so cruelly treated as his.” Dealing with the use of alcohol as medicine. Miss Kirk showed by actual figures that in hospitals so little was used that it was practically negligible. The amount per patient in principal hospitals it? Edinburgh, spent in a year on alcohol is 2jd., in London 3sd., in Dunedee Id. and in Aberdeen sd. Modern doctors do not order alcohol. Some defenders of the drink traffic argue that anyone has the right to drink. All the same, the speaker pointed out, no one section of the community has the right to profit at the expense of any other section. No less an authority than Mr. G. Bernard Shaw says:—“l f a natural choice were jiossible in our civilisation between drunkenness and sobriety, I would say, leave the people free to choose. But, while I see a big capitalistic organisation poking drink under people’s noses at every corner, and jiocketing the price, while leaving me and others to pay colossal damages, 1 am prepared to smadi it.” The unjust gains “pocketed" between 1942 and 1945 by the trade in New Zealand by the addition of 20,000.(100 gallons of WATER, amounted to the unbelievable sum of £6,840,000. The WASTE of the traffic was spoken of. "We use grain, which we can grow ourselves, and import grain when people overseas are starving. Surely inferior grain could he used for pig and fowl food. Bacon and eggs would be good food to send away, hut instead, we produce less bacon and fewer eggs because those engaged in the Trade want big profits on little outlay,” Miss Kirk "aid. The CRIME attributable to the use o! alcohol was also touched upon. Quoting from the Medical Journal of Australia. Miss Kirk said that in 1915, in NSW., 40'r of the gaol population commenced a criminal career with a charge of drunkenness, and the same disclosure i" made in the Year Book for 1939, twenty-four years after! Then the cautious man of science boil" over. “Australia knows what is happening but will do nothing.” Had he *aid, “W r e Australian doctors know what i" happening but will do nothing,” be would have gone to the heart of the matter and caiwd a shaking among the dry lxjnes. Ml the time there i> waste, waste of time, money and worst of all character and life itself.

“If greater facilities for drinking are made available, it will mean more drinking. Sometimes some of us go to church and dug, ‘Can we whose souls are lighted’ yet we art* so benighted that we pamper this terrible and gigantic evil of the Trade, the greatest sou I-destroyer of the day. New Zealand’s drink bill for 1945 Wts £13.480,850 —£8/1/- per head of the population. The amount

spent, on the 1944 figures xvould give all New Zealanders free travel on the railways for almost one year, or free tram travel for five years, or free telegrams, telephones, and postage for almost two years. “That alcoholic drinking makes tor inefficiency is fully known by the Trade it.-.elf is clearly shown by an advertisement which appeared recently for a “Barman, xvho must be a total abstainer.’’ A bootmaker, or a butcher, or a baker, xvho advertised for a salesman who would never use the wares he sold had yet to be heard of.” Speaking of the USES of beverage alcohol. Mrss Kirk said, “There arc practically none. It is scarcely used medicinally at all, it is useless as an aid to clear thinking, and also as an aid to *traight xxalking or driving.” We had heard the thrilling music bidding us to “Fhng wide the gates.” Hoxv could xve Hing wide the gat£s when we deliberately wedge them with the Trade which does more damage than any other one organization? “Do xve want better conditions, better homes, and more of them, less time lost in industry? And over and above these, and greater, is the need of health and happiness for little children Do xve xvant these 5 Do we?" So ended a telling and searching address.