THE ORDER OF GOOD TEMPLARS

Temuka Leader, Issue 2049, 22 May 1890, Page 4

THE ORDER OF GOOD TEMPLARS

NEW LODGE FOR TEMUKA. A public meeting took place on Monday evening at the Hall (the old Wesleyan' church), Temuka,' when several gentlemen interested in the Order of Good Templars delivered addresses prior to arranging for the constitution of a branch of the Order at Temuka. There was a fair attendance, many representatives of the Winchester, Ashburton, and Timaru Lodges being present, The Kev. T. A. Hamilton was invited to preside, and in a brief speech expressed his thorough sympathy with the temperance cause. The first address he ever gave in Temuka was in 1883 at an open lodge meeting of the Templars. I hat lodge, for which keen necessity existed, then fell through, but he thought there was ample room for a strong organisation now. They would remember that he took a prominent part in the Blue Ribbon movement. That organisation, although it did a great deal of good, was on a different footing altogether to that of the Good Templars. It was more fragmentary, and did not offer the same opportunities for united action. He hoped to see them success-

ful in their efforts, and had mucli pleasure in introducing Mr D. G-l Cameron, the Grand' Secretary of th 6 Order. --V - -.T Mr Cameron was 7 -pleased to have the opportunity of addiessing them that evening, and of welcoming so many friends of ; the cause. • His remarks would necessarily be brief, as they intended to open -a new lodge that night after the public* * meeting was over. The order which he reprelsented was first started in 1851, and I had thus been in existence about 46 years. D uring that period lodges had been established all ’ over trip ; earth, and the ritual of the order had been translated into many languages!.’ l hrough its influence; millions had become totahabstainers, and, althoughmany of these had ceased to remain active members of the order, therk were still some-* three-quarters of a million left. The order was first organised in New Zealand in; 18711 There were now 100 lodges and about 5000 members. 1 During the 19 years of its existence thousands had beeri induced to take the pledge, and he now often visited places where manyj, although not members of a lodge, werh individually propagating ■ temperance principles! He frequently* also ; came across cases where men had continued j for years to practise temperance even where lodges had ceased to exist, and

they were in consequence better off in every conceivable way. Probably the majority preseat knew that the two planks in the Good Templar platform' were: total abstinence for the individual, and total prohibition Tor the State. Those who founded had foreseen that prohibition was thb j only safe and legitimate safeguard against the evils of intemperance. They had no objection to other organisations trying in their several ways to limit the traffic, but they (the Good Templars) could only recognise one way out of the difficulty. They did not want to do anything against the wishes of the people- All they wauted was to educate public opinion so that the majority would say that there should be no more licenses. I hey held that .licences were only issued from year to year, and that id consequence they had a right to remove them without compensation to the individuals. Ue need not dilate upon the great distress caused by the drink traffic—the wasted lives, the broken homos, and so forth. All had seen sufficient instances of thal kind. The hotels were constantly dragging money from the people. Two millions annually were spent in liquor. Lasi year it was something less, but the average expenditure is about two millions. If Government proposed to raise a loan of that sum there was row enough, but nothing was ever said of the money wasted in alcoholic liquors, He trusted those present would combine and assist to stop it. Good Templary was now firmly established! The ceremony of initiation, method of constitution, etc., were considered second to none existing. A Good Templars’ Lodge properly constituted was almost perfect. The order was the first to admit female members upon the same footing as that occupied by the sterner sex, and Miss Ackerman, in recent tour, had given the order great credit for so doing. Any sister bad as much right to the high offices of the order as a brother, and frequently , as far as merit went, si better one. Their presence also had a good effect, for their influence was fur good, and good only. Mr Cameron concluded by expressing a hope that a lodge would, be successfully constituted, and that the ladies would join and assist in inducing as many others as possible to join also.

Mr Andrews, of Ashburton, was the next speaker, who, after a few introductory remarks, gave a brief, bull satisfactory, account of the progress of the order in Ashburton, where its adherents were numbered by hundreds' He urged the women to back up the cause, as they were the greatest sufferers by drink, and he expressed pleasure in seeing the Eev. Hamilton! in the chair. He had heard of; his efforts in ‘the cause of temperance; and was glad to see the ministers of gospel zealously taking the subject: up. One of the chief features of the order was that their efforts 'were directed to securing not only the drunkards, but also the young people; and thus by keeping them from the knowledge of drink secure unimpaired; the backbone and sinew of their couu- : try, whose only blot was the allowing the curse of, the drink traffic to con-' tinue to exist.

Mr Hilton, of Timaru, gave a brief, amusing and instructive enlivened by personal reminiscences; Experience daily showed him that the temperance side was the safe side, the right side, aad : the ;hest side for the pocket. Mr Cameron, in moving a vote of thanks to the chair, expressed his pleasure at the chairman’s presence! that evening. He intimated that several other lodges were about to be opened in the district. By united action they hoped to be able to exercise considerable influence. The Premier had promised to introduce a Local Option Bill into the House, and f .ough all its provisions might not shiuh! ccorda T wifch their desire8 > most of'it W6re determmed to make the The vote of thanks having been carried by acclamation, The Bov. T. A Hamiltou briefly returned thanks He had no intention of occupying the position of chairman that evening when he entered the

room, He had simply come to show his sympathy with the cause. He should not be able to take any office under them, but should always do hU best to encourage temperance. •he public meeting then concluded;. Steps were then taken to frame a 1 new lodge, and the following officers were appointed :—P.C.T., Bro. An* drews; W.C.T., Bro. T. Barr 1 ; W.V.T., Bro. G-. Davey; W.S,, Brol Cooper; W.F.S., Bro. D. McCaskill • W.G./.Bre. .McCann; W.T., Brol P.-McOaskill; W.M., Bro. Metson \ W.H.M.,: Sister G-olden ; WiA.s/, Sis'tai* ; Andrews; : W.I.Q-,, Bro. ieny W.O.Gk,\Broi Holdens ; - 1 From the interest displayed, the riewly-cbhstituted lodge promises to hi “well supported. lll ■ . -