A TEMPERANCE JOURNAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4985, 15 March 1877, Page 3

A TEMPERANCE JOURNAL.

A meeting of Good Templars and temperance advocates wan held in Mr. Fraser's premises, Manners-street, yesterday evening at 7 o'clock; the Hon. r "W. Fox occupying the chair. The Chairman having read the advertisement calling the meeting, said the announcement had not been so fully circulated as could have been wished, in consequence of the hurried preparations made. He (the chairman) had only, arrived that morning, and Messrs. Eraser and Hooper considering that no time was to be lost, it was determined to hold the meeting as soon as possible, so that there might be no delay in starting a paper in connection with the temperance movement in tttieivlj, the capital of New Zealand. The matter was first suggested by Mr. Hooper, who had been for some time editor of the Temperanet Times, Dunedin, a journal which had exercised considerable influence and proved of great benefit to the cause. Owing to certain circumstances, however, he discontinued his connection with that paper; and conceiving that there was an opening here for a journal of the kind, he wrote to him (Mr. Fox) about it, and the present meeting was the result, the affair being of such magnitude that it would have been improper to undertake any decided Bteps without consulting the friends of the cause in Wellington. He was among them, therefore, for the purpose of assisting in the promotion of this useful, and he might almost say necessary, institution. Mr. Hooper would explain to the meeting better than he (the speaker) could what were the details of the proposals; and it was for them to consider whether they in this part of the colony were strong enough to make the paper a success. He bad long been of opinion that the cause was not sufficiently advocated in the public Press of this country, and the Good Templars had no representative organ. Mr. Fox then referred to attempts he had made some time ago to circulate articles on the temperance movement. He succeeded m making arrangements with the proprietor of the Independent, and articles (edited by the speaker) appeared in that paper periodically for some little time ; but circumstance altered when the paper changed hands. Although the new proprietors made very handsome promises to put the articles fn for nothing, instead of requiring payment for_ them, as was formerly required, they did not act up to their promises, but made errors in the order of inserting the articles, and sometimes neglected to put them fa at all; and eventually tier ceased to appear altogether. Since

it appeared, then, that they could not in this part of the country obtain the use of the ordinary papers, they had decided on establishing a paper of their own, and he felt no'doubt but that the undertaking, if properly carried out, would be a success.

Mr. Hoopeb, late .editor of the Temperance Times, Dunedin, then submitted for the consideration of the meeting the proposals he (with the assistance of a few friends) had drawn tip for the purpose of starting a weekly journal in connection with the temperance cause. It was proposed to raise a capital of £SOO, in 500 shares of £1 each. He might state that 253 shares had already been subscribed for,_ and' a number of gentlemen had signified their intention to take shares. He then gave an explanation of the probable working expenses, stating that he had already entered on negotiations for the printing of the paper, and it seemed probable that it would ; be successfully carried on, as the circulation would not be confined to Wellington oity, in which alone the Templars were a large body. The project was favorably entertained by the meeting. Mr. Frost suggested' that they should start a newspaper office of their own, but it was generally agreed that the idea could not be entertained at present. After some conversation those present put down their names as subscribers for shares. The Hon. Mr. Fox, it was stated by Mr. Hooper, had taken 100 shares.

It was unanimously carried that the name of the paper be " The Reformer," and that the company be called "The New Zealand Peformer Newspaper Company (Limited)," the number of shares to be 600 at £1 each, payable in instalments at dates to be fixed by the directors. A number of provisional directors having been named, the meeting adjourned.