MRS STEVENSON'S WELCOME

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 179, 2 September 1909, Page 4

MRS STEVENSON'S WELCOME

AN INSPIRING MEETING. A goodly company assembled in St. Mary's Hall last night to welcome Mrs. K. L. SteveusOTi to New Plymouth, notwithstanding the rough weather. After devotional exercises, led by Rev. J. Guy, the Mayor said how much pleasure it gave him to welcome Mrs. Stevenson to our town, and he hoped that her visit to the Domioion would he pleasant and that she would take back to our Ameri- | can cousins u. good report of this couutry. Mrs. Douglas .extended the welcome on behalf of the W.C.T.U. In doing this Mrs. Douglas gave a short account of the founding of the New Plymouth Union and pointed out that they did not stand for only one branch of reform, but for everything that would uplift Immunity. She then, presented a bouquet of New Zealand winter blooms, and in so doing reminded Mrs. Stevenson, that she had come :lo a country with winl cr blooms such as there, indicating the diinate w.e enjoy i n Now Zealand. Mrs. Stevenson accepted it, saying that so far her pathway had be;ii strewn with (lowers. Mr*. Iligelow gave u recitation, "Is it nothing to you'!" with most excellent oiled.

The children tlien sang "All round the world," it poem of .Mrs. Stevenson's own lonrposition. Jfev. J. Guy tendered a welcome <o .Mrs. Stevenson on behalf of kindred temperance societies. Jl duct, "Watchman, what of the night?" was rendered'by Mr. W. Ambury ami Miss Ambury. Mrs. Stevenson was most heartily greeted when she rose to respond. &he accepted it not exactly as a personal welcome, bnlt as a welcome to the Women's Christian Temperance Union, of which she was here as representative. She said that the early efforts of lie women were more for individuals than towards any abstract principles. They early learnt that they must aim at prevention, seeing that so many whom they reclaimed npiin fell under, temptation, and "go for the boys." To form was iufinitely better than to reform. l The juvenile branch of the W.C.T.U., called the Loyal Temperance Legion, took the place, in America, of the Bands of Hope in this wuwtry, tat their great liopo wa» in the fact that in her lands 22,000,000 children TCgulaTly, than that, too, by demands of the low, received instruction in tile effects of alcohol !n connection with their lessons on.health and physiology, and such teaching always made for temperance without definitely teaching total abstinence. 1 The' facts they taught were not their facts, but what had been gathered by years of study and observation by the most caielul and independent observers possible— Professor' Kracpelin, of Germany, for one. He laid down three great principles concerning alcohol:—(1) It impairs ©very human faculty; (2) the higher the faculty the greater the injury; (3) tile effects wqre cumulative. Whra God, as Revelation tells us, makes a! 1 things new man must be made anew, and in the new man there will be no • place for alcohol. Mre. Stevenson ex pressed her willingness to answer question, and that they might take as un intimation for the next evening's meeting in the Wihitelcy Hall. Mr. W. H. Skinner moved a vote a' thanks to Mrs. Stevenson and said how much pleasure they had derived from her address. As a citizen he expressed his gratification that his Worship was . in the chair. He referred to the value to_ the community of the work of the W.C.T.U. in connection with the ladies' room at the Carnegie Library, and est- . pecially the position the Mayor took in regard to the matter.—Mrs. McKay (Stratford) seconded.—Carried by acclamation.

Mrs. Douglas announced that there would be a meeting this (Thursday) morning, ait 10 o'clock, for .members on! v. in Whitcloy Hall, and ait 2 p.m. for a'l who would Jikc to attend, when Mrs. Stevenson would speak. She particularly reminded the audience of the public meeting this evening, iwhen Mr. Okoy, M.P., will 'preside. Miss Maunder (Ila.wera) proposed n yote of thanks to .the Mayor for presiding; and Mm. Douglas to Mrs. Bigcl-nv for her recitation and to the other friends who Jielped in the meeting. Ample refreshments were then handed round and the Doxolngy concluded a very .pleasant and inspiring meeting.