NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 26 July 1911, Page 3

NO-LICENSE CAMPAIGN.

MISS ANDERSON TOURS THE

KAIPARA.

The Kaipara No-License League commenced the 1911 campaign by organising a series of meetings throughout the Kaipara Electorate, The speakers wore Miss Anderson Hughes, known as New Zealands Temperance Qusod, and Mr E. J. F. King, the ; organiser, a well known Temperance speaker from Australia, V .^^^feetings were held at Paparoa, *** Bargaville, Aratapu, Te Kopuru (on .^ the Wairoa), also at Port Albert, /'meeting had been arranged at '^l^llsford for Thursday night last, \-ibut"-tho heavy rain compelled the cancelling of this appointment. At each of the Places enthusiastic meetings were held with splendid attendV ance. I,:- HELENSYILLE MEETING. y' ' —' . ) , Miss Hughes concluded her missions by addressing meetings in Helensville on Friday last. >In the afternoon a meeting for women only was held in the local Hall. There was a good attendance. Mrs Forrester presided, The Rev- j Forrester opened the meeting with prayer. : Miss Hughes gave a graphic description of some of her experiences in slums of London and other cities in the old land as an. instance of what drink is doing to the children of great : Britain, she stated that last year the National Society for the Prevention of cruelty to children took 45,000 cases before the courts of the old* land, of one offence only, that of starvation. In. numbers of these cases no parents ccnld he found. The chldren had "been left to starve. Miss Hughes then related some of her experiences in the License and No-License districts of New Zealand. The contrast was very striking and proved conclusively that No-License had more [than, justify itself. At the close of the meeting a Branch of the Kaipara Women's No. License League w Tas formed and the following officers elected: — President Mrs Oxley; Vice President, Mesdames Forrester and Krrgan; Secretary, Mrs Jae Stewart; Treasurer, Mrs Cameron Afternoon tea was provided, i'he Rev "Kirgan closed with the benediction.

Evening Meeting.

Mr Jas Stewart, the chairman of the Town Board, had consented to preside at the evening meeting but Pressure oi ■'business at the last moment made it impossible for him to fulfil the appointment. He sent a letter expressing his regret at not being present, and hoping that Miss Hughes would, have a large and pprooiati'vo audience. He also commissi'Sned Mr Cameron to inform tho meeting that be was in full sympathy with the

movement, and wishes it every success.

In Mr Stewarts abscense Mr Cameron presided. There was a large and appreciative audience. Miss Hughes divided her lecture into two parts. She first described I the CVttjh-my- I'lll movement and tlien | ."•ave valuable evidence as to the .success of ISTo-License. 'Hie Cutch-my-Pal crusade commenced in Ireland. Th6Eev. Patterson, a Presbyterian minister at Armagh, was one day accosted in the sweet by a working man, said he, "Mr Patterson you ought to ask those men down there to sign the pledge," pointing to a gioup ;of" men standing under a lamp-post. " I'll go and ask them if you will go with rue," was the reply. They both went, after some talk they all agreed to sign, but Mr Patterson's Presbyterian cautiousness here manifested itself, for said he, " I will not take your pledge now, but I want you all to come to my, house on Saturday night, if you are still of the same mind you shall sign. Saturday night came. Mr Patterson was in doubt as to whether tbe men_ would keep their word. Keep it they did, all the men came and signed a pledge, not ordy to abstain from alcohol themselves, but promising to •' catch a pal," or in other words get another man to sign also. By the fol- | lowing Saturday each man bad caught his pal, and twelve had joined the ranks of the crusaders. To-day there are thousands of " Catch-my-Palers " throughout the world. Miss Hughes stated that she was honoured in that ' she was chosen to go to 'Ireland to start tbe womens' branch of the IC Catch-my-Pa! " movement. EacJi woman has to promise tbat.' I will see this thing through," which of course means that there is to be no rest until jTthe liquor tra4 e i 3 desfcr°yed- And in <*mL-> -Addition to this ,the women say "If r l^kfoe men won't do it we women will." &ie result of these efforts are nothing siort of marvellous. In a number of s districts every man and woman signed the pledge and the public houses have been closed, not by a local option vote but because there are no. customers. In New Zealand the womens' crusade originated m Dunedin. .a Mrs Driver was inspired to start yet another crusade, and already • thousands • of women have enrolled themselves. Mr W. J. P. King also the meeting. He said that he intended taking the aggressive attitude m connection Avith the campaign. Too long we had been on the defensive. We*were now in a position to assume the aggressive and to make the trade defend itself by showing' why it Bhould exist any longer. Doctors, Tooliticians, labour men, ministers, socialists, scientists, were all found working together for its overthrow. At the conclusion of the meeting a branch of the Men's League was r formed. ;'Mr McLeorl was elected president ;' NMr Osbovne secretary, and ' jfo'jfalSOft insurer,