Christchurch.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 15, 8 July 1893, Page 12

Christchurch.

(FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) The Direct Veto Convention held in the.Taam street hall on Friday was, from a temperance point of view, a decided success. The convention occupied the whole day, with three sittings —morning, noon, and evening. The resolutions proposed at the evening sittings were carried unanimously. On second .thought, however, I am hardly justified in saying unanimously, for the reason that one resolution was objected to by one solitary individual in the gallery, who was promptly pounced upon by the Rev. L. M. Isitt, The latter gentleman was, it is needless to remark, a leading ■“spirit” at the meeting’. On rising to speak he was received with, loud and continued applause, and it was very evident that his popularity with ■one section of the Christchurch public had in no wise diminished during his absence. With another section of the enlightened Christchurch public he is anything but popular* and is likely to remain so. Mr G. J. Smith, one of the members of the ; well-known “ Prohibition” Licensing Committee,’ in the course of his remarks, scored heavily off the liquor party. These are the facts. A general meeting, of the Liberal Association was held on Thursday evening for the purpose of considering the advisability of striking out the recent addition to the Association’s- seventh plank. The plank originally Was “ That all adult residents shall have votes on licensingquestions,” the addition being “ including the increase, decrease, or total extinction of all licenses.” This, ■of course, meant that the Association favoured the Direct Veto. Row, according to Mr Smith, a certain fix-m interested in the consumption of beer, espied a chance of wiping out this obnoxious addition. It is said that with this end in view they, provided its employees with spurious tickets of membership (as many as 500 had been printed), and a shilling whex-e----with t&ip'ay the subscription. Con-

sequently when the motion that the : addition he struck out was pnt to the meeting,] it, with; Ihe ' jqfh, representatives of~ Bung, was carried,, the voting being 243 f0r,213 against. Of course Mr Smith’s hcai*6rs received the news with anything but approval, and when that gentleman asked the meeting “ Was that Liberalism P” there was an indignant roar of “ No !” The president of the Liberal Association states that the tickets referred to were not obtained by the authority of either the committee or the executive. The question of the rejection of the addition, dear, to prohibitionists and irksome to. the trade, will not be allowed to rest, for it is very likely that the result of Tuesday’s voting will be challenged on the ground of irregularity.: Meanwhile the temperance party is naturally wrath, and there is sure to be more heard of the business anon. As Mr Smith’s assertion has, not been publicly denied, it is fail’ to assume that it is only too true. :

There is another Richard in the licensing 1 field. Mr W. W. Colhns, theFreethought champion,will lecture on “ Prohibition, the Direct Veto, and Temperance —-a reply to the Rev. L. M. Isitt.” The Rev. A. Chodowski, the Jewish Rabbi, will take the chair. Verily extremes meet !

Madame Antoinette Sterling, assisted by Mis May Habgood, Miss Isabel Webster, and Messrs James Wood, and H. R, Holder, will give two. concerts here on Friday . and Saturday next. Lovers of music are on the tip-toe of expectation to hear this famous singer, and the Tuam

street hall on the occasion of these concerts will cei’taihly be taxed to its utmost to contain those anxious to hear this gifted singer.

We have not had anything startling in the fire line lately, but early on Thursday morning we had a mild demonstration, and in an insurance office, too. It seems a quantity of rubbish had collected in one of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s rooms, which are over the Alliance Assurance Company’s office, and by some means became ignited. The valuable oil-paintings of three former presidents of the A. and P. Association were completely destroyed, and considerable damage was done to the other contents of the room. A hole was burnt through the floor, and the fire spread to the Assurance Co.’s office beneath,, but the damage was very small. It is superfluous to state that the building was well insured. Fires in insurance offices are somehow very rare.

I had almost forgotten to inform you that Mr Gr. J. Smith, the gentleman who mentioned’ the bogus-ticket business on ( Friday, announces himself as a candidate at the next general election. Mr Smith is, of course, put forward as a temperance candidate. The Worthington’s have sunk into compaiutive insignificance. The columns which daily appeared in the papers concerning them have lapsed into miserable locals. Mrs Worthington returned ... from Wellington,. on Thursday, and oh Sunday evening she addressed a ;large audience in the Oddfellows’ Hall. Her' Wellington ■“ mission ” has not been altogether a success, and the press of that city was rather severe in its remarks on the new, teaching. Mr Worthington is still '-favoured' with the usual number at his Sunday lectux-es. I. hear that there is no px-ospect of the Temple being let for any, other purpose.- Mr Worthington will, despite all opposition, continue to lecture there foxsome time to cpme/g . ~. , . The keen competition which exists in Christch.urch has . extended to theatrical-amusements, and this time Mr Eden George is _ the offending party. Mxi George, who is lessee of the Tuam-street Hall, has engaged the Marian Willis. Dramatic Company for four perforxnahces, axid the admission is one'Shilling to".all parts .of the hall ! The ; enterprise' of ” this gentleman knows no limit. July 3, 1893.