GOOD TEMPLARS' HALL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 287, 27 April 1911, Page 7

GOOD TEMPLARS' HALL

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE. (Contributed.) To-day the Good Templars lay the foundation stone of their new hall and lodge room. This is certainly an evidence of progress on the part of the International Order of Good Templars, and presumably of the temperance movement generally. The 1.0. G.T. stands for the two sides of temperance reform—the individual and collective in that their motto is "Total Abstinence for the Individual," and "Prohibition for the State." On this account we have, thought the time and place suitable to briefly review the part New Plymouth 'and Good Templary in particular have taken in temperance and prohibition during the last half-century or so. We have been' at some trouble to collect from old residents of the district verbal and documentary information as to the early days of the various temperance societies which are now amongst us: Bands of Hope, Prohibitionists and Good Templars. The search and enquiry we have made is full of interest. So far as we can find out, New Plymouth has good grounds for claiming to be the New Zealand birthplace of the Band of Hope and of the Temperance Alliance, which latter was really a prohibition society on the basis of the present New Zealand Alliance, and the United Kingdom Alliance in the Old Country. The first total abstinence society was formed in about 1855, but the earliest documentary evidence we have is contained in a pledge of total abstinence adopted by the "New Plymouth Total Abstinence Society" on 27th August, 1856, signed by J. C. Neild, M.D., and a number of others. Among the earnest promoters of temperance we ought to mention Mr. Josiah Flight, the then Magistrate of the district, and whose name appears continually in connection with temperance affairs; After the formation of the adult Society, as above, it was decided to form a juvenile branch, a Band of Hope. This was founded in December, 1857; and the lady who, as a little girl, had her name enrolled and received the membership card as No, 1, is still with us, and as ardent for total abstinence as ever. Mr. Charles Davy was one of the promoters of this work, and was rcaay to give us much information, and produced some of the old lists of names for our perusal. We have then reason for believing that this was the first Band of Hope formed in New Zealand. Next in order of time came the Temperance Alliance, or, what one of the promoters of it called it, the first Prohibition Society, whose platform is thus stated: "The object of the Society is to procure a permissive law from the Colonial Legislature analagous to the law sought for by the 'United Kingdom Alliance,' and until such a law be obtained to endeavor to lessen by all legitimate means the evils of. intemperance, more especially such as are connected with* the sale of intoxicating liquors." Then follows the declaration: "I hereby express my concurrence in the objects proposed by the New Zealand Temperance Alliance"; and to this are appended' the signatures of Henrv Govett, John C. Neild, M.D., H. N. Wollaston, Thomas Gilbert, Robert Ward, and over 130 more names. The first Prohibition League had a good start, for the list of names was large and influential, and those now living and bearing those names may well feel proud of their connection ■with so progressive and increasingly popular a movement. Then there came into the field another phase of the movement in the form of Good Templars,in which the social element was, and is, more marked. In addition to the principles'of abstinence and prohibition, there was the great desire to rescue those who had fallen victims to the drink habit and to surround them with better influences and associations. Hence it was that the lodge meetings were, and are, not merely business meetings, but also occasions of j cheery social intercourse. Egmont Lodge, No. 12, 1.0. G.T., received its charter I from the Grand Lodge, dated 12th Sep-1 tember, 1873, and was issued to 33 persons, who are recognised as "charter I members" of the lodge. Most of these have passed away, but a few still remain, and Mr. Nicholas Golding is one of them, and he has supplied much of the information we have sought for this article. Good Templary flourished marvellously for a few years, and people found that temperance did not spell "kill j°y>" and the membership roll increased I gueatly. So intense was the desire for temperance that ultimately other lodges' were formed in New Plymouth, but we have only records of Egmont Lodge. There came, however, a period of dnlI ness, or shall we say satiety, over the lodges, and many ceased working, among them being Egmont Lodge. From 1885 we hear very little about Good Templars in this town. There were several attempts made to revive the lodge, and get it to work again, but with very partial success until 1900, when through the energy of Bro. J. C. Legg and his family and influence another good start was made. The old charter was taken up, the number changed from 12 to 112, showing how the lodge had temporarily fallen behind, and an active, strong and energetic company-was got together under the old motto: "Total abstinence and prohibtion." For some time after the resuscitation of the lodge, the meetings were held weekly in the Primitive Methodist schoolroom in Queen street. Then they were moved to St. Mary's Hall, where they are now meeting, but with bright hopes of soon meeting in the building of which they are now to lay the foundation stone, and which will be a Templar Hall for all time.