NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1935, 4 September 1888, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE.

MEETING IN ODDFELLOWS' HALL.

Last evening Mr T. W. Glover the accredited agent of the New Zealand Alliance for the suppression of the liquor traffic addressed » meeting m the Oddfellows' Hall. Great preparations had been made for Mr Glover's visit by the local Committee ani though the dea of a prooession had to be abandoned at the last moment owing to the Good Templar Lodges being engaged, still this did not militate against the attendance. The Army band played before the hall door and at halfpast seven every available inoh of spaoe m the hall was filled and a few minuteß after the ohair was taken the passages were also oooupied and many stood m the doorway. On the stage was seated a choir numbering over fifty voices representative of all the local Church choirs. Mr Gamble acted as leader and Miss Kidd at the organ with, Messrs H. Gates and Ward (violins) and Mr Gates, senior (bass viol) constituted the inatramentalists. The selections by the ohoir before the meeting were really good, and daring the evening at intervals they sang familiar melodies m exoellent time and with nraoh force. Punctually to time Mr S. Buxton, M.H.R., took the ohair, and on the platform were noticeable the Revs Beattie, Buttle and Meters D. H. Brown, Arthur, and Joseph Hatch, late M.H.R. of Invercargill. After the choir had sung an hymn and the Rev Mr Beattie had engaged m devotional exercises Mr Buxton said a few words introducing Mr Glover. He considered the Temperance cause was making great advances, and thongh the endeavor to get the Licensing Bill of last session amended by giving the licensing franchise to women and young men had not been successful it would very soon be. Those who were bringing forward the measure m the Houbo for triennial licensing, elections when they found that women were to be given the franchise dropped the Bill as quickly as the; oould, They seemed afraid of the influence of the ladies (applause). As the ladies were deeply interested m the licensing question they should have the right to vote at the licensing elections. It was the help of the women that was wanted m the Temperanoe movement and this oould only be thoroughly gained by giving them liberty to vote aooording to their principles (applause). Mr Glover had been before them about a year ago and required very little introduction. Mr Glover upon being introduced by the Chairman said the beßt way they oould start the meeting was by taking up a collection. (Laughter.) While this was being done the ohoir would kindly give them another of their very fine pieoes of mnsio. The expenses were Very heavy, but if everyone gave a shilling a piece it would settle the job. (Laughter.) After the collection, Mr Glover said he was there before them to state the object of his missison, and that was shortly to bring about the total and absolute suppression of the liquor traffic. The oause of temperance and prohibition was advanoing. On the last occasion be vißited Ashburton, he had attended the Lodge meetings of the Templars to see how they progressed. On that occasion there were about forty Good Templars. He had been at a Lodge meeting that night and found that m the short time since his last visit they had grown to one hundred and fifty. (Applause.) This then was a sign that the cause was progressing. He would urge tbee who did not belong to any Lodge to get initiated at onoe. Those young men who had not yet joined he would earnestly advise to join. The Alliance whioh he represented, however, made no restriction as to membership. All that was wanted was a subscription of half a crown * year and a determination to help the Alliance to do all m its power to crush and cripple the cursed liquor traffic. The Alliance was only two and a half years old, but it was s moving power m the land, and was daily becoming more' powerful, not only m this country, but m Old England it was the same. The British nation had never been bo roused st Home since the repeal of the Corn Laws, as it had been over the licensing clauses of the Local Government Bilhintroduced into the House of Commons by a Tory Government. The Tory Government wanted to compensate the liquor party, who placed them m power, to the extent of two hundred millions of money, bat this w^a too muoh lor the people to-endnre and small wonder it was that the feeling was so Btrong among the people against the Home Government. No wonder Gladstone spoke against it, and no wonder that a hundred thousand working men, should hold a mass meeting m Hyde Park to protest against it. Who would compensate the children of the drunkard brought to crime and degradation, and want and misery and starvation through the influence of the damnable drink traffic. England, Canada, America, the Australian colonies and New Zealand alike were afire on the question,, and were crying out against the drink traffic. Therefore, compensation to scxblioans was out of the question. Eduoated as the people of this colony were, they should «cc the blighting effects of drink and under«taot bow a remedy waß to be applied. It tested with tlw people themselves whether they should suffer or whether they should succeed. They did not ask the Government to sappress the liquor traffic ; all they asked wsj that the people should be given the opportunity to suppress it if they wished, and the majority did wish to suppress it, and they ehonld be given the power. This was what they contended for— the right to prohibit the drink traffio, which was ruining the morals and degrading those who came m oontact with it. The Alliance believed m the people having the powff m their own hands to use it for the beneit of the majority. Majorities ruled all the world over, and o n the broad basis of citizenship the power should be m the hands Jf the people to legislate on a matter wbere the good of humanity was concerned. Nothing should be forced against tbe expressed will of the people. In Parliament W session a Bill was brought m by Major Steward, the member for Waimate. Major Steward professed to be a temperance man and yet he brought this Bill m m the interests of whom— the Auckland brewers. Yee it costs the Auokland brewers, £1000 a yes? to fight against the temperanoa party m Attkland, and they hoped that by getting a £Q passed making the elections every three yara they would save a thousand a year. They r did not go to one of their own Bide or «ne of their own views. No 1 they went to Major Steward, so that he being a temperance nan would make it appear that the measure wa& a very fine one. There was plenty of aopbistry m Major Steward, and it would net do for Auokland brewers to loae a thousand a year if they could help it When the Bill cam< before the House they had a talk over it. Mr Fulton and others wanted a clause sdSel giving the women power to vote. If the Major had been an honeßt temperanoe jnra he would have accepted that clause. Bet no 1 The brewers m Auckland knew what tbe women ate, and they knew that if women were allowed to vote they might olose up at once. What was the consequenoe? The jBUI was dropped. They saw it was no good. At the eleotion for Waimate all the candidates were temperanoe men, but when he (Mr Glovw) had put the question straight to Major Steward as to what opinions he held he found that he was the friend of the publican and not an honest temperance man. He was going shortly to Waimate. He would let his constituents know all about him. It was possible Major Steward might put these things m another light, but it would not do, and ho (Mr Glover) would Bay to them when he (Major Steward) might speak to them on this question. — " Don't be oarried away by his sophistries ; don't believe him when he tries to bamboosle you.'* If people had the responsibility they would soon sweep away the itralSo, and by beooming members of the Alliance they could use that power whioh would ensure prohibition. It had been said that at the Ashley eleotion there were two "orankß" to choose between, One was a fitate Bank " orank," and the other was a State Distillery " crank," Of the two evils the lesser was chosen, viz., the State Bank " crank." The speaker then went on to speak of Mr Saunders' letters on State distilleries, and to his own evident satisfaction j disposed of them. He showed that m a dia- ' tillery m Edinburgh when a capital of one arid a half millions was invested only 150 persons were employed, whereas m an iron yard with the same capital 3000 people were employed. Jn New Zealand less drink was being consumed every year, and statistics boo wed the t only a very small percentage of colonial bora people wer? among the prison •class. Oat of 1280 persons arrested and dealt with for drunkenness last year only 36 were •colonial born. Regarding the question of compensation it was the only one m Parliament tjbatween : the Alliance and viotory. A nine' :f Cßtbs Tote would, be m favor of temperanoa ,

if thiß compensation matter would be given into. Twenty-four members m the House were m aooord with the views of the Alliance, and it the members looked out between this and next general eleotion, m the next Parliament they would have many more. They talked of Protection and Freetrade and how the country was to be saved, but they should never forget that every glass of liquor that was put to their lips meant a reduotion m their own wages. Prohibition alone oould sweep away depression. The increase m the prioes of wool, grain and frozen meat, was said to m°,an two millions a year more money to them. That meant £2 per head for every man, woman and ohild m the oountry. Two millions a year went on drink, millions went on gambling and horse raoing, and altogether taking every avenue of unproductive expenditure, no less than six millions of money was wasted every year. A sovereign spent on drink meant that 9d went into the laborer's pocket. A sovereign spent on a pair of trousers meant that 12s 6d went into the pocket of the worker. He conoluded with an appeal to join the Allianoe. Mr Buxton said there was perhaps many a thing said to whioh there was another side. Mr Glover had told them things from one point of view, and he did not agree with everything he said. They all hoped for better times m the future. In regard to the Parliament of New Zealand, he had been told before be went there, that there were no good men m it, but he had found cause to disagree entirely with this view. There were very many excellent men there, men who were better far than they were reported to be. He had the honor of knowing Major Steward pretty well, and he could say he was a good man. On all subjeots they did not agree, but m principle, Major Steward was a good man. Mr Glover would do well to get rid of the falße impression he had concerning him. (Applause.) Mr Glover had apparently seen no good m him, but that was beoause he did not know him. He would ask them to dispense with the usual vote of thanks on this oooasion. He was sure they bad appreciated the address and also the very nice music After Boms musio from the ohoir the benediotion was pronounced by Eev Mr Buttle and the meeting olosed. The oolleotion amounted to £3 0s lid. It was estimated that at leaßt 500 persons were present.