TEMPERANCE LECTURE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1170, 26 April 1884, Page 3

TEMPERANCE LECTURE.

An exceedingly interesting and instructive lecture was delivered in the Volunteer Hall, Temuka, last Wednesday evening, by Mr John Harding, of Hawke’s Bay. The chair was occupied by Mr K. Sando, and there was a fair attendance, but not so numerous as usually assemble at Blue Ribbon Army meetings, The Chairman in introducing the lecturer said,he was at present head of the Good Templar Order of New Zealand, a member of the Blue Ribbon Army, and of the Anti-Smoking Society. He* was 65 years of age, 48 years ©f which be had been a total abstainer. The lecturer on coming forward was greeted with applause. Hia lecture was illustrated by diagrams, which were pinned on to the drop scene of the stage, and materially assisted in conveying to the audience an accurate idea of the processes thaough which barley goes till beer is produced. The lecturer commenced by saying he had lectured in every town in New Zealand except Temuka, Geraldine and the towns on the West Coast. He then proceeded to show, with the assistance of bis diagrams, the waste that takes place in making intoxicating drinks. He pointed out that barley might be made into good bread, and it was wasted in making drink. It had to undergo the process of fermentation, or putrefaction, and anything that underwent that process could not be good for the human stomach. Beer was the Englishman’s drink, and ho often had beer drinkers pointed out to him as examples of health. They were not healthy, as was proved by the fact that not oue London brewer’s man ever enters an hoa pital with any hurt and comes out alive, so poisoned was their blood that they are incurable. Ho then showed a diagram of a measure containing 281bs of barley. These 281bs were reduced by malting to 241b9, by mashing to and bv fermentation to -|ib, so that of the 281bs of barley only halt a pound remained, and that was of the very worst quality. This was the worst system of cooking he ever heard of. What would they think of the cook that would boil a leg of mutton till nothing but the bone and a bit of the gristle remained. He next showed a diagram representing a gallon of beer. In this there were Boz solid matter, 9oz alcohfil ; anti 1440 z of water. Who were the cold water drinkers now ? Why should they not get these 1440zs of water from their own pump instead of giving 2a to the brewer for it. The barley that made these two gallons of beer cost sixpence, but they paid threepence to the malster for spoiling the barley, fourpence to the brewer for poisoning it, fivepence to the publican for selling it, and sixpence to the Government for letting them do it. Would it not have bsen better fsr them to spend their money on something they could get good value for. They would go cutting down a storekeeper’s prices, but no one ever heard of a man cutting down a publican’s prices. The lecturer then proceeded to experiment with some chemicals but the glass bottle in which he was heating something with a spirit lamp broke, and as he had no other he had to content himself with explaining what he would have done. He showed some patent malt, which was only barley burned to charcoal, from which poiter was made. Porter he characterised as quite useless for nourishment. He then showed diagrams which explained the percentage s>f alcohol in each kind of drink. Port wine was sometimes made of sour cider and logwood, and had no nourishing qnsiities. A retired wine merchant, in giving evidence before a Select Committee of the House of Commons once said that

in order to get pure port wine it was necessary for a man to get a specially made cask, take'it with him to Oporto, bore a bung hole m it, superintend its filling, and then ait astride the bung hole until it reached his own cellar, for otherwise it would bo adulterated. He next burned alcohol and called the blaze which it produced blue ruin, and said that was the stuff drink was made of. Anyone with a drop of alcohol, and some other kind of chemicals could make any kind of drink he liked. Only for drink the colony would be prosperous, and they never would have the necessity to borrow money. There was £5,000,000 yearly spent in drink directly and indirectly. He wound up the most telling lecture on the subject yet delivered in Temuka by appealing to them to give up drinking. The B'ne Ribbon Choir contributed several selections in first rate style. The usual votes of thanks terminated the proceedings. Mr Harding repeated his lecture in Geraldine on Thursday evening, the hall being crowded. Mr W. Maslin occupied the chair. The members of the Good Templar choir rendered several selections during the evening, Mr T. Sherratt presiding at Hie harmonium. At the conclusion of the lecture the Chairman called on Mr Waits to propose a vote of thanks to Mr Harding which was seconded by Mr K. Sando, of Timaru. A vote of thanks to the chair terminated the proceedings.