Waimate Temperance Reform Union.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 191, 17 April 1902, Page 3

Waimate Temperance Reform Union.

A public meeting wys held in the IVinparance Hall on Tuesday night to near un addie a by Mr John Smedley, •I’P, of Helper, England. Consequent on the number of other mediiigs nemg nelcl this wetk, some on 'the same evening, the attendance was not as large as was expee'ed. ,The Rev. J. Blight presided, and in a few sentences introduced the .speaker. Mr Smedley commenced by giving a short account of hjs recent visit to India,, some particulars of which we have alre. dy published. He said that India was lthe poorest' country and the most expensively governed in the' British

Empire. Many," of' the coolie class throughout their whole lives never had a satisfying meal, though the cost of i living is only about a penny a day. The , wage of a labourer is only 14d a day, and even skilled and clever tradesmen'get no more' than 3d to 4d a* day. The evil effects of the liquor traffic were as much in evidence in India as in fhe other parts of the Empire. Not long ago the Bishop j of Bombay had said that for every gon- ' vert to Christianity as a result of.Bjiiish missionary effort in India, a hundred drunkards were made by British liquor, “ and.” said Mr Smedley, “the Bishop of Bombay would not make such a sweeping statement unless he had alui’ thifit data with which to support k.” He then went on to speak of the general aspect of the temperance question, and showed from what had come under his own observation at Home and in bis travels in many lands that the effect of the liquor traffic svas evil, and only evil, continually. Mr Smedley is an excellent, speaker, and held' the attention of bis audience throughout. He closed his address by showing that

we in New Zealand have the power in the hands of the people to root out the traffic. He said that temperance reformers in Britain were watching our efforts and waiting with interest the ■ result of the approaching license poll, and appealed to hi's hearers to do their utmost for “ No License.” On the motion of Mr Geo. Dash, seconded by Mr P. Russell, a vote of thanks was passed to Mr Smedley, who is travelling at his own charges, and-has extendi d his tour of New Zealand from one to two months in order to help on the cause of No License by addressing meetings arranged by the New_ Zealand Alliance. During the evening the temperance choir, under Mr C. Manchester, with Miss Strong as organist, contributed several items of music.