Lecture by Mrs Leavitt.

Thames Star, Volume XVI, Issue 5024, 18 February 1885, Page 2

Lecture by Mrs Leavitt.

A meeting to hear a lecture from Mrs Leavitt, delegate from the Women's Christian Temperance Union of Massachusetts, United States, was held in the Pollen-street Lecture Hall last evening. There was a good attendance, the number present being quite 350. The Her. CE. Barley presided. The meeting was opened by singing and prayer, the Chairman then reading a portion of Scripture.

Mrs Leavitt (who was received'with applause) commenced by expressing bow much she felt at home in this far-off isle, made a few patriotic remarks relative to the union between the English and American nations, and passed on to give a resume" of the beginning of the Union in 1873, when the "whisky war " was organised in Ohio, and spread rapidly through the other Statea,and.which led to the establishment of the Union. At the present time there were 55C0 local t unions in America, with a membership of 200,000 in October last. Besides this there were State organisations in all the 38 States and ten Territories, the whole being overlooked by a National Congress of from 70 to 100 women. Some might ask what was the need of this crusade of women, and she could answer that they came in as a reserve force—not to interrupt, but to supplement the efforts being carried on by others. It was admitted on all sides that women were the greatest sufferers by the drink traffic, and women could sometimes succeed where other organisations could not, therefore she thought they had a good right to enter the work. The aim of the Union was to urge all to total abstinence, and to try and get the liquor trade banished from the States. In this they had been partly successful, as in three out of the five States where intoxicating drink was prohibited, the prohibition was due to the exertions of the Union. The speaker then made an appeal on behalf of total abstinence, giving statistics to prove that it was more conducive to health and long life than even moderate drinking, which was very nearly, if not quite, as bad as drunkenness—for in both cases the men only satisfied their appetites—and the moderate drinkers did by far the greater amount of barm to the temperance cause, for'it all who started drinking became drunkards it would act as a deterrent, but the example of moderate drinkers was rather an incitiye to the young to commence the habit. Very few drunkards began with.strong liquors, such as gin, whisky, brandy, &c. ; nearly all began: with cider or beer. Another reason for temperance was that 50 per cent, of the idiocy of to-day was caused through the drinking habits of parents, and quite half the insanity was due co drink. The terrible disease of epilepsy was also rery largely traceable to intoxicating liquors. Passing on in the same strain, the speaker showed that by far the greater proportion of the, crime both in England and America was due to the liquor traffic, which really cost the State fm providing for criminals, &c, caused by it) at the rate of 10s for every 4s received in revenue from licenses and other privileges in cpnv nection with the trade. Mrs Leavitt then made an earnest appeal for total abstinence, addressed especially to parents and young men, exhorted the ratepayers to use the power given them re the election of Licensing Committees, referred to the evil practice of allowing barmaids to serve in hotels, and concluded by expressing the hope that the permissory law now in force (allowing the teaching in schools of the harm done to the human system by the use of alcohol) would soon be nade obligatory.

In answer to an invitation.'to- take the pledge and don the «• bit of blue," 32 signed, and 50 abstainers bad the badge affixed. It wai proposed to form a branch of the Uniou represented by Mrs Laavitt on the Thames, but its organisation was postponed till a future date. \

Mrs" Learitt returned to Auckland this morning. -