GOOD TEMPLARS' CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3049, 10 April 1917, Page 3

GOOD TEMPLARS' CONFERENCE

WELCOME TO DELEGATES. A conference of delegates from Good Templar Lodges in New Zealand is meeting in Wellington, and last night an entertainment to welcome the delegates was held in. the Baptist Schoolroom, Vivian Street. Dr. A. K.. Newman, M.P., presided. Dr. Newman, in the course of-his few words of welcome to the delegates, spoke of the things he had seen on his recent visit to the Old Country, making special reference to the restrictions that had been found necessary in regard to the liquor trade. 'In Russia .the sale of vodka had been, cut off at - the beginning of the war, and in France very great restrictions had been imposed on the sale of certain classes of liquor. In England, owing to the necessities of munition-making, restrictions had been imposed in some localities, amounting in places to a measure of State' control. Now the question was being raised as to whether the State should not control the sale of liquor absolutely. He thought that the result would be that some measure of State control would be tried.

Mr. J. P. Luke, Mayor of the city, tendered to the' visiting delegates a .welcome to Wellington. He also discussed the State control proposal, pointing out that Temperance reformers were divided in their opinions as to the efficacy of this scheme for reform of the drink evil. He did not speak as an apologist for the Government, but he. ventured the" opinion that the Government of this country had not been quite idle in regard to the regulation of the liquor trade in war. He believed, for instance, that the anti-shouting regulation had done i a great deal of good. He took great exception to the statement so often made that some special rule was necessary for the soldier. He had seen as much of the soldier as anybody, and he was of opinion that the soldier took into camp the habits and character ho had had as a civilian. ' There -were full opportunities for a man-who wished to live a clean life in camp to do so, and very many of the boys did live just this sort of life, the life they had been used to live before they became soldiers. He dtfl not approve of the plan proposed that some special restrictions should be imposed upon soldiers. He did not think that this was the proper method of attacking the drink problem. It was not fair to BURgesS'to the men to whom we were looking to free the British Empire and the world: from the menace of Prussian militarism that they were any less men, for being soldiers. Bather we should say thnt they were doubly men for being soldiers. Mr. Luke concluded by wishing the delegates-a suc : cessful conference, which would assist .the temperance cause. A word of welcome was spoken by Brigadier Bray, of the Salvation Army, and by representative Wellington brethren of the order. Response on behalf of the visitors was made by Mr. T. H. Dal ton, Grand Chief Templar, _of Dunedin. In the course of the evening several musical and other items of entertainment were given by members of the Wellington Lodges. I