W.C.T.U. CONVENTION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 459, 18 March 1909, Page 5

W.C.T.U. CONVENTION.

RECEPTION AT TOWN HALL. ATTITUDE AND AIMS OF WOMEN. = Yosterday afternoon, in the Council Chamber of tho Town Hall, a reception was given t-o tho delegates attending tho twentyfourth annual convention of tho New Zealand Women's Christian Temperance Union by. the Wellington frranch of tho W.C.T.U., Mrs. lioxall' presiding. Among, others present were:—Tho Hon. T. W. Hislop, Revs. W. J. Comrie, W. J. Williams, and F. W. Isitti, Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., and Mr. A. R. Atkinson.

In her opening speech, Mrs. • Boxall sail, that the union did an immense amount ol good all through . the Dominion, and six quoted the work of the Wellington Union which received letters inquiring for help froir all parts of the world. As an illustratior of this' she mentioned one interesting cast with which the union had to deal. It was thai of a mother in South Australia., whoso soil hat left her. Sho wrote asking if the union oould find him, slid they fortunately were able tc do so, inquiry disclosing the fact that ho was a bottle L gatherer in Wellington. As to the future, there was much work for jtho union to.do.in connection with the abolition of tnc liquor traffic, and this was to bo accomplished not at meetings alone. ' ( The Mayor, who spoko gret at the absence of Mrs. Hislop, who'v its undor medical orders to avoid anything in the wajh .of large gatherings, but ho whs asked to express her' . sympathy. Letters that had been read by Mrs. Boxall implied that the union was permeated by an altruistic spirit, and regarded it as its duty to do sli in its power to help those wanderers who had ;strayed from home. Nothing could-be bettei than this work. Such societies as this showed the power of organisation among women, aJad its usefulness when put to the service of tho community. As Mayor of llic city he welcomed the delegates to Wellington. 1 Tho Rev. W. J. Williams offered prayer. The Rev. F. W. Isitt said that it gave him pleasure to welcome the largest gathering ol tho Women's Christian Temperanco Unior over held in Wellington/ _ The unior had come to stay, but it was not to be : expectcd that its work would bo accomplished' ' immediately. Ho regretted the absence of three of their foremost workersMrs, Newton, Miss Roberts, and Miss Gordon. They were so closoly associated with tho work of the union that it was matter for regret that they, and other veterans, were not present. ' Tho Rev. W. J. Williams welcomed the union on behalf of the Council ■ of the Churfthes. The union, lie said, represented a- splendid fighting-wing in the great armj of reform. No doubt thero were still'people who -would scoff at the lengthy programme drawn up by;the union, but, for its work's sake, tho union'had a claim Upon all those who respected earnest, direct work for Gml and humanity. No ■ small share of the honours of., tho recent' No-Licensa victory at tho local option poll was due to. the quiet work of women all through the Dominion. Mr. A. R. Atkinson spoke 011 behalf of Mrs. Atkinson, who, through ill-health, was unable to take that part in the union's work which for many years sho. had taken. He referred to the recent victories at tho Wellingon local option polls, and to those polls which were nearly victories. The union's field was as wide as the whole world of morality, public and private, aud its work had always been carried on in a quiot, effective manner. As a result of the recent polls, 130 licenses would .be withdrawn, and .tho holders of existing licenses would attempt to reform their ways. The idea of reform held by tho Auckland licensees was that they should not serve women, nor have women bohind the bar. To tho womeij's vote, and the organisation of the union, tho final victory of the No-License party would bo due. Mr. It:.-A. Wright, M.l\, said that it had been asserted that his return to Parliament ivus purely tho result of the women's vote. If so, it was not the first good thing the women had done. If he understood the objedts of the W.C.T.U., it stood for. the reform of all abuses, tho foundation and administration of good laws, and tho defence of women against oppression. There was a timo when women's work was sneered at. That timo was past, and it was recognised that tho influence of Women in tho political arena was very great. The time ivould come when tho women of Now Zealand, would bo sufficiently organised to make their voice felt, and.to secure the just, necessary laws. The union had tho satisfaction of knowing that they were the leaders of romen in Now Zealand. He believed that if the Government of tho country was left entirely,to men they would go to extremes. No organisation contained more earnest workers than the W.C.T.U., and, when this could be said, it meant that there was in tho community a leaven that made for righteousness. On (behalf of tho women of | Wellington 110 welcomed 1 tho delegates of the union. Miss Powell said that tho union wished it to bo understood that its meetings would be open to tho public every morning and afternoon. \ Mrs. Cole, president of the New Zealand Union, thanked tho speakers for tho wolcema extended to tlvj delegates. The women in, Christchurch and other citics had rejoiced in tho victories won by Wellington, and hoped that next election day they would do as well themselves. Sho wished that tho bars in _ Wellnigon could havo been already closed that they might have seen tho result. Sho wanted to say something about tho work of tho union. • Only tho officers of tho union knew hofr much work had been accomplished during tho past twelve months. From what had been said many and many a timo abouttho duty of staying at homo and mending stockings, one could picture women sitting everlastingly beforo a hugo basket of unmended stockings. But it must bo remembered that in course of timo a' woman's daughters grew up, and began to mend their own stockings. Her sons grew up and found someono elso to do their darning, and then'a woman found .herself possessed of a lcisuro which she might put to the best uso she could think of. _ She briefly sketched the history of tho union. The first work she had dono in connection with it was to tako round a petition against the employment of barThey were tired of that now, and now tried to get rid of the bar. Their next work was to agitato for the suffrage, and they had been largely instrumental in securing it, 111 Now Zealand the union's first work was done for temperance, and then tliey opposed everything that threatened tho happiness of the home, gambling, impurity, or n.ny other iiiilucnco. A woman had to send her children out into the world/and so sho tried to make the world—the larger homesafe for her children. , Tho union had an ovaugelistic department, and it also aimed at securing Bible teaching in schools. It aimed at removing the legal disabilities of women, and it worked among tho Maori women. Th<*ro are now six branches of the union among the latter. Throughout the world the members of tho Women's Union numbered nearly a million. A vote of thanks was carried to the Mayoi and council for tho loan of tho Council Chamber.