THESE SIXTY SEVEN YEARS

White Ribbon, Volume 26, Issue 2, 1 May 1954, Page 5

THESE SIXTY SEVEN YEARS

Convention Address given by Mrs. H. N. Toomer at Public Welcome, Hastings

It gives me very great pleasure to be here tonight on this most auspicious occasion—the 67th Dominion Convention. Sixty-seven years! What does 67 years conjure up in our minds ? Surely they would call to memory many remarkable women—the women pioneers of our great Movement . . . Our Movement originated ; n America. Our Foundress was Miss Frances Williard, a woman of great attainments and a gifted personality. In 1887 the W.C.T.U. commenced operations in New Zealand and from then on a gradual move upwards to give women the right to say what they wanted in national, civic and moral standards began to be felt, resulting finally in the gaining of the franchise for women. For this much credit is due to the Women's Christian Temperance Union. The amazing courage of our grandmothers and mothers is one of outstanding loyalty to a strong and fervent belief that women should have coequal rights with tlieir men-folk. The story is told that after the franchise petition was being presented to Government for the third time, the then Prin i Minister, Mr. Seddon, said, “Give these women what they want and let’s get rid of them.” (Though one wonders if we use it as wisely as w r e should.) We have a motto, “For God, Home and Humanity,” and a pledge, “Peace, Purity and the Abolition of the Liquor Trade.” We have an emblem, the little White Bow, now worn in some 60 countries of the world. I had the privilege of attending the World convention of the W.C.T.U. which was held in the city of Vancouver, and there had the joy of meeting White Ribbon” sisters from far away countries such as China, India, Japan, Italy. Germany, England, Scotland, Burma, Mexico, Argentine and many more—a truly unforgettable experience, rich in Christian fellQwship and goodwill. Here was concord and harmony, '< witness to the Christian teaching, tor in Christ there are no racial barriers, for all are one in Him who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Too, we were all of one mind, our hearts and our lives devoted to the betterment of world-wide social conditions, the 2,000 delegates who assembled at that great Convention gave but a glimpse of the determination of the thousands upon thousands of Christian w’omen who are, as we are, determined that Evil shall not walk unrestrained in our streets, or allowed to silently corrupt good social behaviour. We have, during these 67 years, fought a relemless fight against a revolting evil called the Liquor Trade. Sometimes our heads have been bloody but never bowed. Women have died to make the way safe for their children, and while the foe is deadly, our faith in the supremacy of Good over evil shall indeed prevail. While we live, we have pledged ourselves to fight social evils. We have a worthy record, and in the pamphlet entitled “The Tale of the Years,” we learn just how much has been given to our country: in Fhild Welfare, three out of seven enactments were sponsored by the W.C.T.U.; under the heading Youth Welfare, five out of eight also go to our credit; inFamily Protection Acts, one out of four; m Suffrage and Rights of Citizenship, 12 out of 2Y The raising of the marriageable age is entirely

due to our efforts. (A few years ago the age of consent for a girl was 12 years; now it is 16 years.) Under General, two out of seven were also sponsored by our Union. Ours, indeed, is a goodly story of which we are justly proud. As our Motto indicates, “For God, Home and Humanity,” our field is social, and we have to our credit two Sailors' Hostels—one in the North Island and one in the South. Both these Institutions are filling a definite need and doing good work among seamen from many lands. Also in the Queen City of Auckland there is a Maori Girls’ Hostel, which also fills a very important need and we are happy to be of use and service to many young Maori maidens. For many many years we have edited our own official organ, “The White Ribbon,” with a circulation running into thousands. A magazine for Youth called the “Beacon” and a smaller paper called ‘Boys and Girls” for the children (the only Temperance paper of its kind in New Zealand). Thus it will be seen that in many ways we serve and strive to bring before the public the need for an awareness of the things that spell happiness and wise living. Some may wonder why we persist In our mission when we receive so little response from either the Government or the general public regarding the menace of alcoholic liquors. We persist because the matter is vital and urgent. The startling figure of our national Drink Bill, over £26, C0), 000 shows clearly the inward state of a people’s heart and we KNOW that "Where there's Drink, there’s Danger,” be it in private homes, hospitals 6r on the roads.

.t is good to see so many concerned over the inci easing death rate on our roads, but to prattle while thousands die or are maimed for life is inanity. While alcohol can still be consumed in liqjors—alcohol, which has been proved a fatal poison by science, the god of this age, and branded as a racial poison—I repeat, to take no action to be rid of it, is folly indeed.

Many prate about the advantages of Trust Control. Why prate? The commodity is not a tered because sold under supposedly better conditions. How’ stupid can we be? The way it is sold makes no difference to its poisonous content. It is proved a POISON, causing men to go mad, io rape and murder; women to forget all loyalty ;o husband, home and children; and prostitution rears an uglv head. Why do we allow' this evil ? Who gains? Vested Interests, Shareholders! Blood money! We find its victims in asylums, in hospitals, in gaols and, alas too often, by a graveside are the relatives of the slain on the road by the “drunken driver.” We have safety campaigns. How' nice. When all we need is to outrnode the public salofln, quit giving more and more licences to grocers; stop trying to be fashionable by holding fatuous cocktail parties. We need a campaign of Common Sense. “I like a drink,” says the man or woman, and because they like it human wreckage is strewm the wide world over. “I like it,” says the drunkard, and drinks to endanger his soul. “We like the revenue,” shouts a Government—and wrecks its people! What shall w'e do with alcohol? Put it into machinery, make it into dyes, turn it into channels of usefulness. Rome, that mighty Empire, perished by intemperance. God's finger wrote of an Empire before Rome—wrote on the wall at Belteshazzar’s

drunken feast, “Thou are weighed in the balance and found wanting,” and the next day his kingdom was wrenched from him. “Drink at the head means rottenness at the feet.” Gambling is a social menace and a social disgrace. Surely it makes the thinker grave when he knows that in this country we spend the colossal amount of £80,000,000 on this so-called pleasure. Now to make things even more enticing we have the “slot machines,” which have been known to make a nett gain to the owners of £lO to £l2 per week. One of,the most deadly aspects of our day is the apathy of the general public, and also in many instances the apathy of the Church. We need C liristian women, women with convictions, tq join us. Let us seek them. And so I close — Our Ta*k —to educate; Our Duty —to go forward; Our Loyalty —to the King of Kings. Why ? Because we know the truth about beverage alcohol and the soul danger that lurks in the gambling craze. In the Name of God, we shall go forward. —Abridged.