GOOD TEMPLARS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1098, 10 April 1911, Page 6

GOOD TEMPLARS.

HONOURING DISTINGUISHED RECHABITES.

FESTIVAL IN WELLINGTON.

In honour of the visit to Wellington of the High Chief Ruler of tho Independent Order of Rcchabitcs (Bro. J. I'hilipson) and tho Past High Chief Ruler (Bro. C. W. Churchill), the local members of tho Order and their friends lield high festival on Saturday and fjimday. The visitors arrived from the south on Saturday morning, and were met by representative membors of the district Tents. In the afternoon, over 250 members and friends of the Order assembled at tho Kelbumo Kiosk, when a welcome was tendered tho visitors, and a souvenir photograph of the- gathering was taken. Afternoon tea having been dispensed, the main hall of the kiosk cleared for the occasion, was occuped,* and a musical programme, interspersed with speeches, was carried out. The address of welcome was delivered by Bro. W. J. Gaudin, A.D.C.K., ami Mr- A. J. Bennett, one of tho oldest New Zealand members of the Order, and responded to by Bro. J. Philipson (High Chief Kuler) and Bro. TV. C. Churchill (Past High Chief Ruler). Songs and recitations were contributed by Miss P. Foster, Miss C. Picot, Miss Eva Rasch (who also played the accompaniments), and Messrs.'D. Fletcher, and T. Kewton. The singing of the Rechabite ..Ode concluded a very pleasant gathering. At 6.30 p.m., just before tho big gathering in the Town Hall, a united Tent meeting was held in tho Reehabite Hall, Manners Sheet, there being an attendance of about 1.10. Eight new members w;ere initiated, and a number of. business matters disposed of. A PUBLIC RECEPTION. THE MAYOR'S WELCOME. At the close of the Tent meeting, a Jarge procession was formed, which, ■headed by the Central Mission Band, marched to tho Town Hall. Here a public reception was tendered the delegates by the Mayor (Mr. T. M. Wilford). Present on the stage also wero the .Mayoress (Mrs. Wilford), Messrs. J. P. Luke, M.P.. R. A. Wright, M.P., D. U'Laren, M'.P.j Councillor Smith, Rev. eiamires, Kev. R. J. Crewes, Bro. J. G. Carr, district secretary of the LO.R., Auckland District; Bro. C. S. S. Kelly (secretary of thu Reception Committee), .and most of the local heads of the •Friendly Society Orders.

Mr. Maughan Baniett, City Organist, played an organ selection prior to the opening of .Hie meeting; and when his Worship the Mayor took his place on the platform the "Welcome Ode" was sujg. Speech by the Mayor. Mr. Wilford said ho hail been asked as Mayor to do honour to their distinguished guests, and, on behalf of the Empire City of the Dominion, ho gave them a hearty, sincere, and enthusiastic welcome to our shores and to our city. (Applause.) New Zealand had for some Tears been prominent in the eyes of the world because of her experimental legislation. Difficulties, which in some older countries seemed insuperable, wo had overcome almost at a sitting. Countries of the Old World had turned their eyes to 'us,'and to our Australian neighbours wondering what the various forms of experiments would lead to. Emissaries 'had . from time to timo been sent to find out some of these results. The present gathering had como together for i'he purpose of showing to these delegates of the Kcchabite Order, who were hero with a similar, object, a very sincere welcome.' (Applause'.) ' The propaganda for which they stood had at least done one great thing: it had created a strong public opinion—a contempt for .overindiilgenceVin 6trong ,'liquor. (Applause.) AfteV further remarks, , the 'Mayor.' again extended-,a hearty welcome to the visitors!,"! (Loiid ,, applause.) The Mayor then read a letter from tho 'Acting-Premier (tho Hon. J. A. Carroll) regretting that his absence- in Auckland would prevent his presence. The Hon. J. A. Millar (Minister for Railways) also regretted that he ' would ■] be ; prevented from attending tho gathering, as ho would not bo in Wellington.

The High Chief Ruler. Bro. J. Philipson, High Chief Ruler of 'lie. Order, expressed his warm thanks for the kindly welcome extended to them, inxL.for tlio attention given to their com.'Ort. Wherever they had gone, Britishers had given them hearty receptions; and when gatherings honoured them, they honoured the Order, and in honouring ■the Order they honoured tho principles for which the Order stands—temperance. Their tour had been commenced on December 2S. They had travelled 5000 miles in India, and had como through the Australian States. At Bombay a very distinguished Indian, who had taken a . firm ,■ stand in his country, had given them a hearty welcome. He had said that the British occupation of India had been providenthl, because it had given -them equal justice for every man. (Applause.) In Australia almost all the prominent men they had met had said .notwithstanding the fact that there were ■filready 65,000 of the Order in Australasia nt present),' "You can't do better than Send, us more Eechabites out here." (Applause.) The Order had been in existence for seventy-five years, and in New Zealand it had been established forty years. Speaking of the providential side of friendly society Orders, ho said, that their ■ support was one of the first dictates of prudence on tho part of those people generally" who required (o look to the future. The late Dr. Temple, a Bcchabite himself, hod described the Order as the best of alf Iricndly societies, and the best temperjnce society.- The Ordar'was undenominational and no one with conscientious scruples in this respect need keep away. Their present tour undoubtedly signified that tho Order of Reehabites was 'worldwide. No review- of Hie Order would be complete unless it laid emphasis upon tho ?act that they stood for "thrift, abstinence, brotherhood and—no meetings in publichousos." They were pledged—every member ot tho Order— neither to take, make, nor give to others intoxicating drink; and to do all possible for discontinuance of the use, manufacture, and .sale of intoxicating liquors. Members had first to pass the doctor and then pass tho publichouse— forever afterwards. Ho quoted from learned authorities in support of the theory that the taking of intoxicants was injurious. He urged upon his hearers that they could do nothing better as citizens than to help along tho Rechabite Ordsr, and also to assist in the cause of temperance, (Loud applause.)

A Branch Welcome. Ero. H. N. Holmes, secretary of tho Wellington branch of the TT.M.C.A., voiced a Kcchabite welcome to the High Chiefs. In the course of liis remarks ho mentioned with enthusiasm the fact that Parliament had given this country a great democratic machine to enable it to pronounce upon the lie/nor traffic. Jfc was to be hoped it would not l>o long before ■England had the same.

Address by Bro. C. W. Churchill. Bro. C. "W. Churchill (Past High Chief Ruler) echoed the sentiments of his fellow traveller in regard to their welcome. He dwelt upon the world-wide character of the Order, and traced its origin and method of administration. They gloried in the numerical strength of the Order and in the rapid strides it continued to make, because every member added could never become a victim to strong drink. (Applause.) Perhaps in this country thcro was less necessity to advocate thrift than in tho older countries where, owing to lower wages, it was more imperative to lay up for the future; but there, nevertheless, existed a necessity here. Speaking eloquently' of the similarity in some respects of this country to tho Motherland, he prayed that there would never grow up here some of tho evils which, he might "almost, far, cursed the older countries. Out of forty millions of population in England 500,000 wero habitual drunkards. Tho proportion may not seem large, but, unfortunately, these "habituals" died olf very soon, and yet this army'had been (until recently) maintained constantly at its full strength. The sneaker and his colleague had recently travelled through Fnvercargill, and had seen the benefits of Nn.T.ironse. All the shops there, seemed

in full work—and not shut up, as they had been told they were. Bars were put to a better use. The Mayor of Invorcargill (not n member of the Order) hud said that half as much building again as in any other year had boon authorised last year—about .CGO.OOO worth. (Applause.) The object-lessons of No-License in New Zealand would be a. big weapon in their hands when they returned to the Old Country.

A Presentation. On behalf of the local District Order of the •Kechnbitcs, Mr E. A. Wright, M.P., presented (lie two guests with a Petono travelling-rug each, making also a neat littto speech. Mr. Luke, M.P., proposed a vote of thanks to the. Mayor, which was carried, and the gathering closed with tho singing of n closing ode- and the Xation.il Anthom.

During tho evening Madame. Groomo, Mr. E. i'arkes, and Mr. D. Kenny contributed enjoyablo vocal items, each performer being enthusiastically encored.

SUNDAY'S FUNCTIONS. CHURCH SERVICES. Yesterday morning a church parade was held at Petone. At the arrival of thu 10.35 train from Wellington, a nrocession was formed, between 80 and IUO joining in. The procession then marched to the Methodist Church in Nelson Street, which in a very little .< time held a full congregation.

Bro. J. Philipson, who was the preacher, chose his text from Jeremiah, chapter 35. This was the nortion of the Biblo from which the Order of Keclmbites founded its origin, and the preacher's address was most .interesting. In the afternoon Bro. W. Churchill spoke before a. gathering of the Brotherhood in the Druids' Hall, Taranaki Street. Mr. ,T. P. Luke, M.P., was chairman. The speaker was introduced bv the Kev. E. O. Blainires. In a few remarks, Mr. Blamires said that the Mayor's address tho previous evening, at the lown Hall, in view of tho enthusiastic nature of the temperance work of tho Jiechabito Order, had suggested the lines in Macaulay's Lays: That "even the ranks of Tuscany could scarce forbear to cheer." (Laughter.) In his address, Bro. Churchill enlarged on the necessity in true brotherhood of not judging one another. They should judge principles, and not so much the people by whom the principles were held or the practices followed. The Order was banded together to put out of ■ tho way of others everything that • might be a [ stumbling block to them ir. their path of progress. Tho most material stumbling block, which brought in its train nearly .all the other evils, was tho drink. Ho was glad, incidentally, to see that here in New Zealand the publichouses were closed on Sundays. Ho gave several instances of the misery that resulted in English towns from tho habit of Sunday drinking. He went on to refer to Philip Snowden, ,the English politician, whom ho defended from tho unqualified charges of rabid Socialism which very often were levelled against him; describing him as a man earnestly seeking to uplift his fellow countrymen. Snowden had said that he had been led to see that the drink curse blocked every effort at reform. Tho great "children's question" would be easier solved if drink wero not in the way. The speaker in Australia had offered as his best to send out many men here, to give them a chance in life, but he had been told "No; you have made them, you keep them." The sum of one hundred millions of pounds sterling was spent per anuum in Britain in drink for working men alone, or two million pounds per week. Surely, if the drink w;ere wiped out thero would bo no poverty in Britain, or at least tho unemployed problem would be reduced to a. very much smaller affair. The Old Country was looking to these younger nations to point the way in this reform, for wo wore better able to do it. We, as yet, had not (he great problems of the Mother Country. But if wo allowed the drink evil to grow and increase tho evils of which he spoko would surely follow in time. Various statements had reached them in England about the ineffectiveness of No-License in thoso districts of New Zealand which had taken it up, but he would be able to go back and give a very different story..

On the. motion of the Rev. Mr. Blamires, seconded by Jlr. E. Arnold, a hearty vote of-thanks was passed.to the visiting brother. . . At the Wesleyan Church, Taranaki Street, the Sunday evening address from the pulpit -Has delivered by Bro. J. Philipson (High Chief Ruler), who took for his text the Biblical proverb: "Train up a child in the way he should go. and when he. is old he will not deport from it" (Proverbs xxvi, vorso G). The speaker stressed the principle that, example in temperance, as it was in all other things, was better than precept, and that it was not much use preaching temperance to the young if the evils of intemperance wore allowed to continue as part of their environment, liquor bars flourished, and adults frequented them. He was (jlad to note during his stay in tho south that the enrse of the "It«d Lion" had been checked in the prohibition districts by the closing of the hotel bnrs. That was one striking, example which to the youth of the community, was infinitely preater than precept., Hβ also referred to the steady growth of public sentiment agninst the liquor traffic, and expressed the hopo that every citizen who had the future ■welfare of the younger generation and tho prosperity of the'country at ho.irt would foster, by all possible iiu-ans, the growth of that healthy sentiment.