NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 30, 25 June 1914, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND ALLIANCE.

MEETING IN WELLINGTON. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Wednesday.* The twenty-eighth annual meeting of the New Zealand Alliance Congress began in Wellington to-day. The Mayor welcomed the .delegates, who' number 180, from all parts of the Dominion. At the Congress breakfast the Rev. W. J. Comrie, chairman of the executive, said the Alliance embraced all parties, so far as politics were concerned. It embraced all colors and nationalities. Its goal was the abolition of the liquor traffic in New Zealand. He hoped their goal was not far distant. They had a majority of the people behind them.

The president, Mr. Wesley Spragg, said there was no time in the history of their movement when they had more hope of seeing an early success of their efforts. They lmd never before found their opponents so anxious, so determined, so compactly organised, so lavish with their money, so intent on trying to defeat the Alliance. The liquor party realised that they were approaching their Waterloo. They realised the nearness of the dissolution of their awful business. He was inclined to think they would see Federal prohibition carried in the United States even before it was carried in New Zealand. He rejoiced at their prospects of succcbs. . Addresses were also delivered by Mrs. A. R. Atkinson, Mrs. H. Lee Cowie, the Rev. P. S. SmaMeld, Messrs A. Toombs and C. H. Poole.

PASSAGE OF TIIE PREMIER'S REX URGED. Wellington, Last Night. At the afternoon session, the. following resolution was adopted by a very large majority: —"That this Congress, representing every electorate throughout the Dominion, while maintaining the principle of Birnple majority 011 all licensing issues, recognises that the Bill circulated by the Prime Minister at the close of the last session proposes the granting of an instalment of that reform, and in view of the pledges given by the members of the present House, therefore urges members of Parliament to pass the measure early in the present session." The following resolution was also adopted:—"That this Convention urges all who are interested in temperance reform to exert all proper influence to secure the reform which the New Zealand Alliance is interested in, and to oppose the introduction of any retrograde legislation."