WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 83, 27 March 1908, Page 4

WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION

THE AXNCAIj CONVENTION

The following report of the annual convention of the Women's Christian Temperance Union ha* been supplied to

The twentythird ('invention of the Women's Christian Temperance Cnioii was opened on Weiine-dav. I lib March, in Auckland by a reception of delegates ill the Central Mission Hall. The meeting was presided over bv Mi's. Dcwar. tli ( . Auckland president. Speeches ot welcome were given by various sympathisers, and songs were rendered by -everal friends; the mo-t touching was a song by two little girls representing the Anglo-Savm and the Maori wearing the white ribbon. They presented a lovely white bouquet tied with white ribbon to Mrs. Cole, the Xew Zealand president. At the opening «.e>»iuH next morning forty-one delegates wi-re present from all part- of the Dominion.

Tin- president's addrer-- was masterly ain 1 lull of information. It wa> received willi applause and a mjue-t nuulo tlial it should lie printed as :i help to worker-. The report* ot Mi>s Webb. corresponding secretary. and McCarthy. lrea>nror. botli ladies new to olliee. were sati>faetory. In the Maori work Mr>. Parcmata bewailed the pUu.-in«r of a hotel at KaiKohe. a settlement wholly of Maoris. The hotel wa* a souree of <jrief to some and o* degradation to others, Mr*. Npipuhi. an old lady of 8J years. had been in -trumental in formiu«r l<'n unions and taking pledges. Mi» Hari'Oi. who has been working anion;; the Maoris at \\'lian»arei. ha> been appointed Miperinteiident ol' this department, and is dcsii'ou-. of ;i training M-hool lor jrirl- there on very homely lines.

The report of temperance instruction wa- verv lull, and contained opinion- of 250 medical men in New Zealand on the u-e ot alcohol a- medicine. The report -tatcd: ••Many do not pre-cribe it. ot her- decivaMngly: of course the bulk keep \«> the old htea-. and Mich need to be educated, and we hope they will investigate with ai! open mind. The training of our school children in the knowledge of the ell'eets of alcohol oil the human -y.-tem is most important if we aiv to keep and increase the uo-license area- and sive the boys and iiirls from l>ciii» lost ihrmigh ignorance.*' The cradle-roll department i- a recent one. and card- haw been i--ued by which mother- piomi-e to train their childreii in the iiabit of total .l»--linetire; the children*-. birthdays are commemorated till they are -i\ yearold by sending * eard. The Sailors' ltests are still l>eing su:--ce->fully carried on in the various port-. Efforts are still being made to >uppre--the totalisator and eigarettc-Mnoking among boy*.

I VISIT UF Till-: NFAY Zi;ALAND | PRESIDENT. A meeting of the Women's Christian Temperance Union was held in the Iktp-ti-t (.'hnrch yesterday afternoon. There \va- a # good" attendance. Mrs. N. T. Maunder, newly-elected president; <>t the branch. presided. After the opening exeivi-es and afternoon tea, Mrs. Col.', nf ('hristchuri-h, the "New Zealand president. guvo a report of the work done sit the recent convention. Three new departments, she mentioned, hud been added to the list already l>eing worked. Members regarded the report as very encouraging. A vote of thanks to Mr?. <o|e. proposed by Mrs. Douglas and seeonded by Mrs. lirooke. was carried with acclamation. Tiie singing of the DoNology closed the meeting.