GOSPEL TEMPERANCE AT FLEMINTON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1854, 30 May 1888, Page 3

GOSPEL TEMPERANCE AT FLEMINTON.

The first meeting of the session of the Flemington Gospel Temperance Society and Band of Hope, waa held on Friday j evening last, when there wrb a large gathering, numbering nearly one hundred. The available sitting accommodation of the schoolroom proving too little, ad ditional eeatß were provided. Tho Bey A. Blake took the chair, and having opened the meeting, the Secretary, Mr Osborne, gave m his report as to the past year, which was supplemented by Mr 'reble, the Treasurer, who showed a balance m hand of £2. The Chairman having congratulated the Sopiety on the evidences qf its vitality, went on to deliver the inaugural address Mr Harding made some very timely remarks on the use of tobacco, pointing out ia what period a young man, spending a shilling a week on it, woald have laid out a hundred pounds, and how much could be done with a hundred pounds. Mr Sawle, from Ashburton, gave a telling address full of interesting matter. He remarked that wo heard if said that legislation, with a view to tho removal of the evilß of the rtrink traffic, nras an infringement of the liberty of the subject; fle held that we had frequently to infringe on the liberty of the subject wben it interfered with the wellbeing of Eociety. If a man went to buy poison at a chop, or went into any other railway par to emoko than a smoking car, he would find his liberties infringed upon. He went on to show, by well known factß, that the drink customs were a curae. In lunatic asylums seven out of ten were brought there through driok. The gaoler pf Canterbury gno), who had been there twenty years apd had seen 20,00Q prisoners pass through it, bad never known a teetotaller among them. Prosperity would return to this fair land with the^ banishment of drink. The State of Maine, where prohibition was m foroe was now the richest m the Union Songs were contributed by Mrs Dunn, Messrs Dakere, Dunn, and John Oaborne, and the Mteses Anderson, recitations by Mica Sawle and Master Samuel Anderson, and all united m singing several Bongs from Hoyle's book. A meeting of members was held at tbo close when officebearers were appointed aa follows : — Bey, A Blake (President), Meßßra Harding and Croy (VicePresldents), Osborue (Seoretary), Prebble (Treasurer), Dudd, Holland, Dakera, Addis, Wheeler, Stockdalo and Bryant (Committee). Th'e next meeting was fixed 1;or that night four weeks. „