W.C.T.U.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 289, 16 April 1894, Page 2

W.C.T.U.

The monthly meeting of the Feilding branch of the Women's Christian Temperance Union was held on the Bth instant in the Temperance Hall, Miss Dairy inple presiding. A deputation iron) the Good Templars waited to enquire if terms could be arranged for that body haying the use of the Hall for one evening in the week. The matter' was discussed and tfrms proposed, which, if accepted by the Lodge, will be of mutual benefit, inasmuch as the Union will secure a small addition per month to its funds, while the Lodge will save a little by their less costly accommodation than at present. The Demonstration on Easter Monday was a matter of congratu- • lation, the Union being satisfied -at the grand protest against the drink traffic whichthe procession represented. The gathering at the Recreation Ground was also very very satisfactory, a day's out-door amusement having been afforded to many hundreds entirely free of charge. The returns in money do not clear the cost of the lunch and preparations, but the Union looks forward hopefully that by giving an entertainment of sprat kind this will be wade up ; and they trust to be well supported in the proposed effort. The members wish to record their great appreciation of the willing and generous assistance rendered, not only on Easter Monday,— but in preparations for weeks before to make the fete the grand success it was, especially by Messrs Shearer, Andrew, Carty, Johnston, Galland, J. C. Thompson, Simpson, Franklin, Shearer, junr,, and all others, without whose help and ready resource the undertaking could not have been carried through. Consideration of Band of Hope matters was deferred until next meeting. The President read the following paper, a short account of her visit as delegate to the Invercargill Convention : — "The annual convention of delegates -of wnom I had the pleasure of being one - from the various branches of the Women's Christian Temperance Union of the Colony was, as you are all aware, held daring last month at Invercargill, On my way thither, I was fortunate enough to meet two other delegates at Wellington, Mrs Schackenburg of Auckland, and Mrs Kiddell of Napier. We were, therefore, fellow passengers on board the s.s. Flora to Donedin, reaching that port on Saturday afternoon. On Monday morning we again met at the railway station and took the 8.5. train for Invercargill. There we were received by several members of the local branch, including Mrs Whitcombe, its president. After welcome salutations, we were each driven to the several homes at which it had been arranged we should receive hospitality during our stay. We were quickly made aware that a semi-public reception was to be given in the evening, and after a little rest and refreshment preparations were made for the gathering. It came off in a large hall which was pro* fusely decorated with flowers, evergreens, etc., and the tables were laden with good things of all kinds. Among the audience we soon distinguished our fellow-workers by the white ribbon bow— the-badge of the order. There we also found, and* were introduced to, the other visiting delegate*, with whom and the local president and secretary we were led to the platform. A beantiful banner of the New Zealand - W.C.T U.— designed I believe in Dunedin, and which had been exhibited at the Paris Exhibition in 1888— hung over thft back of the platform. Praj er by the Rev Mr Stobo opened the proceedings, after which an address of welcome was delivered by the Rev Bobert Taylor, Mrs (J. Brown sketched the scope and objects of our Society, and Mrs Schaokenburg, for herself as N Z. President and the dele* gates, replied to Mr Taylor's remarks, thanking him for his kind words, and the InvercargiH members for our invitation to their beautiful town. Proudly and thank* fully she referred to our being jn the van of progress, practically illustrated by our having led in the enfranchisement of women, thus taking the first step of a path never to be retraced whilst the world lasts. She, however, warned the listeners not to expect great immediate results from our sudden accession to power, but that, nevertheless, Bhe was pleased to find it freely acknowledged that, on the whole, the personnel of the members chosen at the iate election was a manifest improvement upon all former elections. She was full of hope for the future, as all thinking women would now begin to educate themselves up to their duty as electors. Several other speakers made stirring appeals to the audience and community generally to aid the W.C.T.U. members in their praiseworthy efforts to bring about sobriety and a general reform for the moral improvement of all classes. Mrs Kirkland, of Taieri, Otago, was umch appreciated in claiming thas n)ore warmth and earnestness should be thrown into the evangelistic work of the Union, and especially urged that cottage aud drawing-room meetings should be held. Some music was pleasingly rend* ered from time to time, forming an agreeable variety to the entertainment As to subsequent business, I now quote from notes by an Invercargill member : Convention was formally opened at an early hour next morning with devotional exercises. Mrs Schaokenburg occupied the chair. Greetings were received from the W.'C.T. Unions of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and India, after which business began. Reports of the year's work from twentytwo branch unions were read, officers for the ensuing year were elected by ballot, and much business of a general character executed. Several animated delates enlivened the meeting, but the whole of the session was marked by a spirit of unanimity aud concord. Letters aud telegrams were received from Mrs Shoppard, urging that' Government should bo petitioned to establish Inebriate Homos for the cure, of drunkards, but a large majority agreed, • That in view of tne approach oi prohibition, when public houses will' toa^olosed aud drink banished from Uie land>it would " bo out of place for the Union to petition for those Homes.' Mrs Sheppard's report of " How the Women won the Franchise " was road by the corresponding secretary and listened to with marked rtttcutiou. A telegram was then sent to Mrs Shcpparcl— [aud it may be hero meutdoncd that it is chiefly to her persistent efforts that women owe the franchise] -stating that her report was icad

amidst enthusiastic applause aud would be printed as a broad-sheet. It was resolved that the beautiful initiatory service of Victoria, on the admission of new members, should be adopted, and also , that a letter of sympathy should be sent to Miss Willard, the beloved chief of the World's Union, in her retirement, accompanied by earnest prayer that she may be restored to health. A cop* of the Women's Petition was produced and additional signatures obtained. This polyglot petition, signed and circulated m fifty different languages, contains the signatures of between three and four millions of the best women that live, praying for the abolition of the alcoholic traffic, the opium traffic, and the licensed traffic in degraded women. This monster petition was exhibited at Chicago, and proved quite a feature of the Exhibition. A telegram was read from Wellington inviting the Convention to assemble in that city in 1895. The Crusade Psalm being read, the Convention closed."