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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 269, 23 April 1915, Page 8

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THE TARANAKI LEAGUE.' A meeting of the Taranaki Xo-licehse League was lield in the Good Templar Hall last night, the Rer. T. tf. A. Rosevcare presiding. The annual report of the Taranaki Xo license League for the year ended April, 1915, was read as follows:—"The executive committee have to report an eventful year. This is what nearly every other societv or organisation dealing with practical work has to report, consequent upon the war. This disturbance, added to the general election and the no-license and prohibition polls, makes the year one long to be remembered. Your committee have done their best for, the prohibition and yet we have experienced a loss of support at the licensing polls. The cause or causes of this we can only surmise. It remains for us in the future to retrieve the position and gain, such further suppert as will carry us to victory at, the next poll. During the year there have been three meetincs of the league, and twenty-two recorded meeting of the general committee, besides many meetings of sub-committees and emergency committee.

"At a league meeting held on July 6 last veai-. an attempt \ysi3 made to enrol members under tlio new constitution as adopted at our last annual meeting, Imt with no very great success. So manv are willing to help us. and vote steadily, for prohibition, but will -not openly identify themselves with our cause. We have a small body of declared supporters, and a very large army of secret friends. During the year we have -had on our platform Mr. Poole, MP.! Dr. Sheldon. Mr. and Mrs. Snowden, Mrs. Cowie, and the Rev. R. S. B. Hammond. Mrs. Cowio. worked under the guidance of the W.C.T.TT., though the union co-operated heartily with this league, and thus Mrs. Cowie was able to go to Inglewood and elsewhere, where she had good, meetings. All of these speakers met with large audiences, and worn highly appreciated. In addition to j the above meetings, your committee arI ranged for a number of meetings in I country places, which were addressed by local speakers. These meetings did not I attract the audiences that were antij cipated. World's Temperance Sunday I was observed by a large gathering of I Sur.dav school children and others in flood {Templar Hall on November 8, addressed by Mrs. Cowie, Five issues of the Vanguard, of 2250 each issue, were distributed by post free throughout the electorate. A separate statement with reeard to this will be submitted by Mr. Ttellringer, one of the gentlemen who took charge of this work. Ynnr committee obtained from the candidates for Parliament their opinions on the questions affecting licensing legislaton, and their answers to our questions were made public. Mr. Okey. M.P.. has promised to support a reduction of the majority required on both issues from the present three-fifths to eleven-twen-tieths, and also the abolition of packet j licenses and will support any measures before Parliament to make the prohibition in the King Countrv more effectnel.

Notwithstanding all that has been said and done, the war seems to have so completely taken up the public interest that the vote against the liquor trade shows a decrease in our electorate, as well as all over the Dominion. The decrease in this electorate was only Hi!, and in the whole Dominion 12,72(1. This is to be deplored, but it is to be reversed, and with interest, at the next licensing poll. The present Parliament has a substantial majority of its members pledged to support the 55 per cent, majority on the national issue, so we may feel confident of petting that, and added to that the strong wave of antialcohol sentiment that is sweeping -over tile world encourages us to anticipate victory at the next poll." 'An address was given by Mr. C. H. Pooh'. M.P., and a duet (encored) by tin; Ttcvs. ftosovoaro and Chappell.