Temperance Reform Union.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 234, 26 July 1902, Page 3

Temperance Reform Union.

o WELCOME TO MR T. W. GLOVE tt. ANNUAL MEETING. There was, considering the number of gatherings elsewhere on Thursday evening, a good attendance at the' Temperance Hall for the T.li.U. annual meeting. Mr T. Lrown, who occupied the chair, voiced the welcome of the Union to Mr Glover, and invited those present to put away all formality and make .the meeting more of a social gathering. The Temperance choir, under th<; leadership'of Mr C. Manchester, contributed melodies at various stages of the proceeding. The annual report wis read by t.'i.j secretary (Mr George Dash) as fallows :

L.vmics and Gentlemen, — ft would soem scarcely worth while, on tli< j i.-ve of a poriod of action, to pause to cj:.i in.'lit on "thn history of a p'-iici oi inaction ; but perhaps, after ai!, a recapitulation of the incidents of the year may be interesting. a"d even helpful. Well, our period of compar.-ui v-.j inactio.i has seen the visit of Mr ■>. G. >Vo' II -y, a visit wiiich will stand out prominently in our m -mori'-s lor many years as a p.'e.-i-i.i.-jt. mid proti:-! ablj incident. M.ss Kob~rr~\ t.).>, !■•!■ ! with us pleasant tn in nies, ucr wtt-k ! of work in our d.-triut b nig ot gtva-t service. Tin- bri= i -tiy o! M; S:u.was sulliciontly 1 iiig tor Iran to s'now us that ho was a valuable worker, and j the addresses given at, our public J meetings by our .-;.> .-iki::g I'ri n Is h tve j been helpful to us and of se; vice t > the No License cause. Of conferences w.: have had not a few, that at Oannru resulting in the casting in of the 1 >t of the southern portion of our district with Oamaru, while those held in Timaiu have arranged a good portion of the plan of campaign for S.mth j Canterbury, not the least item of j which is the engaging of Mr Glover for six months' work. The alteration to the boundaries of our electorate in cutting off that portion south of the Waitaki will lessen our interest there and sever our connection with many excellent workers with whom our j work has been most pleasant. In j financial matters we have, you will be j pleased to learn, reduced the deficit. True, it is by but 8s cU,d, but that is something. Wo have, however, pledged ourselves to an expenditure of £lO in connection wivh the New | Zealand Alliance 1002 scheme and , £l2 with the South Canterbury League, j fhis, in addition t; our usual election i jxpenditure, will r-. quire generous | :iearts as well as willing hands, j During the year the Xukuroa Band of Hope has continued its interesting i ind well attended meetings, its ener jetic secretary, Miss Low, being well supported by an active committee. flic Waituna Band of Hope, witti Mr [virckaldy as president, reflects great credit on"that willing worker, and bids fair to rival even older established societies. At Morven Miss Peck is secretary to a Band of Hopo that is a live organisation, and at Makikihi the meetings have been resumed under the leadership of the liev. H. K. Lawrie rhese societies will bo a source of strength to the temperance party, and vill do much good. During the whole year each Saturday's issue ui'" the Waimate Advektiski: has contained nearly a column of matter dealing with the pros and cons of the No License question, and this, with the local Band of Hopo meetings and those held by our Union, must have in influence which will be felt, we trust, at the ballot box. The balance-sheet was read, and, with the report, adopted. I

The election of officer:; resulted in the unanimous re-election of Mr T. Brown as president, with a cordial vote of thanks for past services. Messrs G. 11. Graham and George Manchester were appointed vice-presi-dents, and a vote of sympathy to Mr Manchester in the seve e illness by which he is prostrated was accorded. Mr George Dash was reelected secretary and treasurer, with Mr E. Bannerman as assistant and Mr F. Russell as roll secretary in place of MrKir?kaldy, ."vho is leaving Waimate to reside at Morven, and to whom the thanks and appreciation of the Union for his useful work found voice with the Rev. Morrison amid acclamations from the meeting. A committee of twelve, viz , Me.v dames Goldsmith, Russell, K. M. Butcher, G. Dash, Graham and Blackmore,- and Messrs C. Wilson, P. Russell, L. Thomas, E. Wilson, W. Marriott, and Veitch, were elected, with the ministers of the Primitive Methodist, Presbyterian, and Methodist Churches and the captain of the Salvation Army as ex officio members. To one member of the committee, Trooper L. Thomas (Tenth Contingent), who was injured in the Moehavie railway disaster, a vote of sympathy was passed. Mr Glover then addressed the meeting, expressing his pleasure to find so active an association at work in this district, and continuing in a speech which was calculated to infuse additional energy on the part of all sympathisers with temperance reform, and which was received with hearty applause. Mr J. Campbell, of St. Anbrews, ih moving a resolution which was later on carriod, protesting against the handicap of the three-fifths nuprii.y, said that he was not yet able to give a decided answer to the requests from various parts of the electorate -for him to contest the election. His three sons were away in Africa, and he would like at least one cf-them home before he could say yes ov no. He had no personal ambition to be an M.H.R., but would do anything to advance righteousness and good government. (Applause.) On the motion of Mr Graham it was resolved to protest against that clause of the Act compelling one-half of the electors on the roll to poll in the event of an uncontested election, in order to make a valid licensing poll. Several gentlemen spoke to these - motions, : and at the conclusion' the ladies, of the society refreshed tfie audience with tea, coffee, and a variety eatables.