W.C.T.U.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 261, 25 March 1911, Page 7

W.C.T.U.

i ANNUAL CONVENTION. YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. The annual convention of the W.C.T.U. yesterday opened with devo- , tional services. Mrs. Cole (president) presided, and 81 delegates answered to the roll call, viz.: i Mrs. Cole (Christchurch), New Zealand president; Mrs. Perryman (Ashburton, N.Z. corresponding secretary; Mrs. Mitchell (Kaiapoi), N.Z. recording secretary; Mrs. Bendeley (Christchurch), N.Z. Treasurer; Mrs. Oldham (Napier), White Ribbon editor; Miss Harrison (Napier), assistant business ■ manager White Ribbon. | Superintendents.—Mrs. Upton (Wan-; ganui), evangelistic; Mrs. Hislop (Dunedin), literature; Mrs. Moody (Bluff), "Y" and medal contest; Miss. Maunder. (Hawera), scientific temperance; Mrs. Logan (Waipukurau), good citizenship; Mrs. Jamison (Tariki), anti-gambling; . Mrs. Gaskin (Greymouth), unfermentea wine; Mrs-. W. S. Lovell-Smith (Christchurch), hygiene; Mrs. Blair (Dunedin), press; Mrs. Jensen (Petone), temperance Sunday; Sister Moody-Bell (Shan- 1 non), home meetings; Miss Powell (Palmerston North), education meetings; Mrs. Johnson "Wright (Wellington), notable days. | District Presidents. Mrs. Mowler ' (Palmerston North), Mrs. Smith )Wan-' ganui),' Mrs. Rule (Timaru), Mrs. ' Dewnr (Auckland), Mrs. Duxfield (Ha- ' wera), Mrs. Boxall (Wellington,) Mrs.' Douglas (New Plymouth).' | District Secretaries. Miss Tucker. (Wanganui), Mrs. W. H. Day (Christ-] church), Miss Ambury (New Plymouth), Mrs. Chatwortby (Napier). District Treasurers.—Mrs. Sweetman ' (Greymouth), Mrs. Laybourne (Palmer-1 ston North), Mrs. Hughes (Auckland),' Miss Taunt (New Plymouth). j Delegates.—Mrs. Devonport (Master-! ton), Airs. Lilley (Stratford), Mrs. I. Cleave (Waitara), Mrs. Gilling (Matapu), Mrs. Veale (Devonport), Mrs. 1 Walker (Gisborne), Mrs. Don (Dunedin), 1 Mrs. Allman (Palmerston North), Mrs. 1 , H. Taylor (Wanganui), Mrs. Hould,er| (Wellington), Miss Gamlin (Manaia),'

Mrs. Parker (Blenheim), Mrs. ■ Pike 1 (Blenheim), Mrs. Baker (Hawera), Mrs. A. M. Carter (Hamilton), Mrs. Ken-I nington (Ngaeje), Mrs. R.' A. Wright (Wellington Central), Mrs. Wilforo.| Smith'(Lyttclton), Mrs. Harre (Christ-1 church), Mrs. E. Baker (Kaiapoi), Mrs. Harlow Thompson (Chirstchurch), Mrs.' Murray (Elthani), Mrs. Membcrry (Otakelrof,- 'jfrs. Whitehead (Palmerston, Korth);• Mrs.'Perkins .fWopdvilh?),-Mrs l . Maekay (Stratfordj^Mrs'.'^aylor,' Mrs. Mason (Greymouth), Mrs. Hadecke, (Rangiora), Mrs. Corner (Petone), Miss; Bell (Fcilding), Mrs. R. Brown (Ash-1 burton), Mrs. Fenwick (Tariki). Maori Delegates.—Miss M'Neigh (Cambridge), Miss Rebecca Smith (Kuha Hahu, Hokianga). "Y" Delegates.—Miss Rosevear (Dunedm)' Miss Norrish (Timaru), Miss Baynon (Christchurch). . Visitors.—Mrs. T. E. Taylor (Christchurch), Mrs. P. A. Grant (Wanganui), Mrs. C'iimming (Christchurch), Mrs. Bates (Wellington), Mrs. Kennedy (Stratford), Mrs. Burrell (Hawera), Mrs. Campbell (Eltham), Mrs. Ritchie (Palmerston North), Miss Bates (Wellington), Miss Boxall (Wellington), Mrs. Patterson (Manaia), Mrs. C. Jones (Ngaere), Mrs. Morrison (Ngaere), Mrs. 1 M. Phillips (Ngaere), Mrs. Swanston (Hawera), Mrs. Twigg (Hawera), Sister Nellie (Okaiawa). The appointments of different committees, convention letter-writer, and' press reporters were then made. j

PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL ADDRESS. The president (Mrs Cole, Christchurch) delivered her annual report as follows: ' DEATH OF KIXG EDWARD. Before going further, I desire, on your behalf, as well as my own, to express our deep sorrow that, at a most critical time in the history of the Home Land, and when full of good work for the maintenance of peace, the late King Edward passed away, to the great regret of millions of his subjects, and of those who desire to see our Empire at peace with the rest of the world. "Edward the Peacemaker'-'—did any monarch ever go to his grave with a'liner epitaph than this? To the wife and family who mourned the. loss of a husband and father, your president, on behalf of the X.Z.YV.C.T.I"., sent a cable expressing loving sympathy with the bereaved ones, A gracious answer, also by cable, acknowledging our .message, was sent by Queen Alexandra. We pray that much blessing may attend the reign of George V., and that under hi.s rule, the Empire may live at peace, and prosper in all that tends to the moral uplift of the people.

PROGRESS. And now I venture to declare that the dominant note of this Convention should be one of praise and thanksgiving for the progress made during the year that is past, especially as regards the humanitarian enactments passed durin;; last session of Parliament. As affecting .so largely the women of this Dominion, 1 give lirst place to the repeal of the Contagious Diseases Act, for which thi. Inion labored for many weary years. I certainly think that the members of the W.C.T.I*. of Xew Zealand may claim the honor of being most largely instrumental in bringing the Government at last to see the injustice and disgrace of such law being on the Statute Jjook of this country. .Many years of patient ell'orl and untiring agitations against apparently immovable prejudice and ignorance have been crowned with success, and women no longer live in this land under the threat of the enforcement of a law which might endanger the liberty of any woman, no matter what her character might lie. Our Government has at last removed this black blot on the fail' name of the Dominion, a country which, years ago, with justice and fairness, enfranchised iis women, anil yet concurred placidly in keeping a vicious, unscrupulous law, such as the C.I). Act, on its Statute lluok-a law which in the MoLiierland was years ago consigned to the limbo of bygone atrocities. We congratulate the Prime Minister on the fact that hi' decided to bring the matter before i.jc late session of Parliament, and that his ell'orts to remove .such a menace and insult to New Zealand women \va* crowned with success. Wluitevcr the further proposals may be for dealing with the social evil, no such law as the one now repealed will ever, 1 venture to .say, be again placed among the statutes of this land.

LK'KXSI KG LEGISLATION, important legislation in reference to licensinj.' reform deserves consideration when addressing a company of temperance women. The Licensing Act of 1010 contains .so many admirable provisions for tlie lietter enforcement of the licensing law. and also for the power of dealing more cllieacionsly with the liquor traffic, that I cannot do 'better than deal with them here. The power conferred in the act to vote on Dominion Option is one that has Ion;: been sought by the temperance force-, and we. as women, may well rejoice that at last a weapon so powerful for the destruction of the liquor traflic is placed at our disposal.

ELIMINATION OF THE BARMAID. | The gradual abolition of the barmaid f will bring about a reform for which this Union has long agitated, and in favor ofwhich a petition was presented to Parliament by our members some years ago. PROHIBITION OF THE SALE OF DRINK TO YOUTHS. The clause prohibiting the .sale of alcoholic liquors to young men under 21 years of age is a provision we hail with thankful hearts. But 1 wish to remind you that this valuable proposal for lessening the drinking among our youths will have little effect unless the law is strictly enforced, and it behoves us who wish to have our young men protected from the drink habit to be on the watch to see that the law is duly carried out. We can do much to make it effective by calling attention to breaches of thi.s law I if such come under our notice. The extinction of bottle licenses, the prohibition of breweries within five miles of the borders of a no-license electorate, and also the abolition of lockers, will all ' tend to lessen the amount of drinking. For all these amendments we are most grateful, but, notwithstanding, we are not, and cannot be, satisfied until the majority prescribed by law for the carrying of no-license, or Dominion prohibition is reduced! I I wish to remind you, in referring to this matter, that it is upon our legislators we must depend, cither for the right of the bare majority or for some reduc- | tion in the majority now requisite, and it will rest largely with the temperance ■ voters whether next Parliament we shall gain any concession from the Government on these lines or not. We must 1 pledge ourselves to vote for no Parlia- | mentary candidate who will not promise 1 to grant some relief in this matter to j the temperance voters, who form a substantial majority in this country. We can go to our labors this year with I greater enthusiasm than ever before, I knowing it is in our power to banish | once for all, root and branch, from this ■ young, promising State, ocean girded | as it is, a foe so cruel! so unscrupulous* j as the liquor traffic, which spares not young or old, neither the cultured nor , the uneducated, but casts its blight upon , some of the highest intellects and some ! of the finest characters in this and other countries. I PRISON REFORM.

So much attention was given at the Invercargill Convention last'year to Dr. Findlay's proposals for prison reform that I need do nothing more now than express the gratification of this Union at the success -that, has attended .the Attor-ney-Geriera'rs efforts' to secure more humane arj.l modern treatment for our prisoners, aTid-lesrjtfini't'ive and more reform.atcfry nidtlfods in our prisons. As we have -always been interested in such re, forms, and Jiave often' endeavored to' oh'! tain some"-- legislation on reformatory 1 . lines fr'crm tlur Government, we are the ..more-gra'tfrfed'-that Dr. Findlay's efforts have been successful. ANTI-GAMBLING. Thoiighi.it iß«i great disappointment to all who wish, for moral reform that the totalisat'or Is 'not yet abolished, still we rejoice that some effort is to be made to lesson the number of race meetings. We are glad also that the bookmaker is outlawed, though why the bookmaker should be abolished aiid the betting machine retained and legalised, is something that the ordinary individual fails to understand. It is well known that the totalisator lias increased betting to an alarming extent, and its retention can only be understood when we consider that it is the monopoly of the wealthy racing class, among whom the bookmaker has no friends. We desire that the totnlisator shall be submitted to a vote of the people, and if thi.s is done i we have no doubt of the issue. ! INDECENT PUBLICATIONS ACT.

Tliis Act provides for the suppression of the sale of indecent and vicious publications, anil has been well designed for the protection of our young people from pernicious literature. We all know how easily the mind of the young receives impressions which are likely to be lasting, and nothing is more certain than that the result of the reading of vicious and immoral literature must be a harvest of immorality, which will sap the moral life of the community. We. rejoice that our legislators have at last awakened to the need for a law which will deal effectively with those wlio are responsible for the sale of literature which is vicious and tainted, and from which nil right-thinking people will wish to protect society.' As an organisation of women, whose aim is to labor for the moral uplifting of { the community' in which we live, the huma.'iitarian laws passed last session cannot fail to give satisfaction to each one of us. MORALITY l-Y .uibiTAKY CAMPS. i All who have the best interests of our youths .at heart will be glad to know of the pronouncement made by the Commandant in reference to the matter of morality in the military camps of this country. His words give us a certain amount of confidence, but will not quite satisfy the parents who understand how easy it is for one corrupt mind to taint many others, For ourselves, Ave should be certain that our boys are well grounded in the principles of purity and morality before they leave us to mingle with others who possibly may not be the best companions for them. To be fore-warned j is to be fore-armed. EUiiKXICS.

I am sure you will agree with me When I claim that this Union is most deeply interested in the question of eugenics, which had been well explained as "the study of the agencies under social control which may improve or impair the racial qualities of future generations, either physically or mentally.'' This comprehensive explanation opens to ns a very large range of subjects affecting the well-being of the race and to the study of which we should bring much attention. But the subject is too wide to discuss here. Vet our members mav well take to heart Dr. Kindlay's statement that; '-the fertility of Hie unfit, in Vontrudistiiielion to the inferlilil.y of the fit," is threatening society even in this young country, the addre-s containing these words will well repay perusal, and T hope that much attention may be given to the views expressed therein by Dr. Findlay. This Union could not do better than give some time to the study of the problem. We can at least make' the statement, without, fear of contradiction, that the deterioration of the race is largely due to the drinking habits of a section of the people. DESTITUTE PKIISOXS ACT. This Act lias a more far-reaching effert than at first seems probable from its title. Anion? other proposals, it directs that, an illegitimate child shall bear the father's name, where paternity can be proved. This is a most important provision, and one for which this and other women's societies have long agitated. That this clause should have so easily have passed both the Upper and Uwer Houses proves how much public opinion 'has changed during the last few years, for when (his proposal was first mooted it, was met. with a storm of protest and disapproval. Another clause of the Destitute Persons Act provides that any man nut making provision for his wife and children mav be imprisoned, and during his term of imprisonment he mav be forced ito work to maintain 'his Family. Draslic powers to deal with these delinquents is ' provided.

SCIENTIFIC TEMPERANCE TEACHING. At last we have the promise of the Minister for Education that the effect of alcohol on the org-ms ot the human body is to be made a ci .upulsory subject, in our public schools. Again we have to state tliat it bus taken years of agitation and education to gain this concession from the New Zealand Government. It is not enough to have this subject placed in the school syllabus as a compulsory .one, but we must see that our children receive the instruction. Let as, as temperance women, take our part next month in the election of school committees, so that .temperance women and men may find seats on these important bodies, remembering that it is the school committees who elect the education boards, and the.se control the appointment of inspectors, whose duty it is to see that the syllabus is enforced. TEMPERANCE WALL SHEETS, are now provided by the Government for use in the schools, and these will supply a long-'felt want, emphasising, t as they will, the evil effects of'alco'tiol on the human body, and giving much aid in the teaching of the subject. DOMESTIC SCIENCE TEACHING. This is a most important matter, which at a later period I hope to hear discussed by members of the Convention. vSo much depend*) on mothers being able to get efficient assistance in their homes, cither from their own daughters or from outsiders, that I do not think there need be any apology for introducing the subject here. The future of the race will be affected by the way this question is dealt with, and as an organisation of women, wives and mothers, it may well be discussed by us. I have certain proposals to place before you, for which I hope to enlist the sympathy of all our members. WOMAN'S, SUFFRAGE.

The cause of woman's suffrage is still making progress in other lands. The State of Washington, U.S.A., has recently granted the suffrage to women, and this carries with it the. right to sit on juries also. Five States have, now granted women the vote. A judge in the State of Washington recently declared tHiat he had never had a more intelligent jury that the one composed of women who recently served as members of a jury in that State. Is it not time the women in this Dominion demanded the same right? WORLD'S W.C.T.U. CONVENTION. The Convention held in June last, at Glasgow, reached the high-water mark of such gatherings, 000 delegates being present from different countries. New Zealand was well represented by Miss Roberts, Lady Stout and Miss Anderson Hughes, and I have received more cordial testimony to their ability and worth from the world's officers. Miss Morice. of Gisborne, and Mrs, Chappie, late of Wellington, were also present, and acted as proxies for one of the Australian State Unions with ability. The Convention was marked by muoh enthusiasm, and we feel proud to be allied with such a powerful and world-wide organisation. We should be more and more enthused with the spirit of self-sacrifice, of devotion and unselfish service which characterises our leaders. And if we are, this year will see

A WONDERFUL ADVANCE in all that serves for righteousness. Shall we crowd such service out of our lives by giving our preciouß time to tasks that may better be left undone? The few more tucks in children's clothes, the lavish cooking which our families would be better without, the time spent in social calls which benefit neither the visitor nor the visited, shall these satisfy u.s when so much work is being left 'Undone because trifles fill up the time we may have at our disposal when legitimate home duties have been carried out? Let our aim be

PLAIN LIVING AND HIGH THINKING, Then shall we justify ourselves in the eyes of those who are watching to see how New Zealand women bear themselves 'under the responsibilities conferred upon 'them by their enfranchisement, tlur sisters are looking to us from other lands. Let us show the world how we can deal with abuses, with social wrongs, with laws that press unduly on our sex. In order to raise the moral tone of the community among whom we live we must give more attention to the training of our young people, imbuing our sons with higher ideals, and a love for purity and right living, which seems to be rare among a certain class of men. ''The white life for two" should be the standard of society, and it will be, if parents set before their sons and daughters such an ideal, and cease to look with a friendly eye on the man whose moral life will not bear the test of close scrutiny. IN CONCLUSION. And now we should decide, to increase

our membership. Every new member gained becomes a centre of influence, and adds to our power in the community. Numbers mean greater influence in the councils of the country, and our aim should be again this year one member, one new member.

1 trust all our Unions will work with enthusiasm for the cause of no-license and Dominion prohibition, for this is work all can do, even in the smallestcominnnity. Our motto should be "Work while it is day," for we .know not when the Lord will conic. Says one writer: "Oh, whit a world this would lie if the perseverance of the saints were made of as enduring stuff as the perseverance of the sinners."

Only one thing can make the "perseverance of the saints' enduring," and that is love—love to Christ expressed in love to humanity. "Love finds its highest reward in the joy of service for others. Love is generous, and its divinity lives beyond ail the fading objects of this Ufa into the blessed eternity." May this love animate each one of us.

THE AFTERNOON SESSIONS. The afternoon sessions opened at 2 p.m., Mrs. Cole presiding. The Corresponding Secretary, in reading her report, mentioned that last year there were 81 branches, and this year 88. Last year there were 2113' members and this year 2068. The cradle roll reported a total number of 1364 members. The report was most encouraging and inspiring. Greetings were received from the following unions': Masterton. North East Valley, Levin, Gisborne, and Kaiapoi. The organisers reported a number of unions newly formed, and others helped, built up and strengthened. One hundred and sixty-three new members were secured and 116 additional subscribers to the "White Ribbon," the organ of the W.C.T.U.

The balance-sheet was presented by the N.Z. treasurer (Mrs. Bendeley), and showed a substantial balance in hand.

At this stage a refreshing cup of tea was Handed round.

The Evangelistic Superintendent (Mrs. Upton) also reported a good amount of work being done in the way of visiting hospitals, visiting the sick, reading to those too ill to do so for themselves, and holding meetings at Sailors' Rest; also numbers of prayer meetings held in different places.

Sister Moody Bell reported on home meetings, where matters are discussed relating to the best means of furthering the work of the unions. Many new members are gained in this way,* and a greater interest created in W.C.T.U. work.

At this stage, the Rev. Little, lately of Ashburton, arrived. He gave a short helpful address of encouragement to women at the conference. The reverend gentleman pointed out the great benefits derived since no-license had been carried in Ashburton, in spite of all that had been said to the contrary. Maori work was reported to be progressing satisfactorily, Mrs. Henderson being superintendent of this important department. Cards are distributed amongst members who collect money from their sympathising pakeha friends, and in this and other ways means are raised for helping, organising and teaching the Maori.

A most successful meeting closed with the Benediction.