BLUE RIBBON MOVEMENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1526, 6 December 1883, Page 2

BLUE RIBBON MOVEMENT.

The upper room of the Institute, Masterton, was well filled- last evening, when Mrs Scott, a lady who has gained a reputation as a temperance lecturer, delivered an address, assisted by several members of the Carterton Blue Ribbon Army and the choir under the leadership of Mr Beecher. Mrs Scott opened the proceedings with prayer, after which the choir rendered " Wind is n Mock" in capitnl style, Mr Parker (chairman) in a few introductory remarks urged those present to join the army, and pointed out the advantages to be derived from it. Choir, "Leaf by Leaf."

The Rev Mr .Young, of Greytown, who said he was only a young recruit (but who worked as hard as a recruiting sergeant during tho evening) was pleased to see such an able exponent of the temperance movement as Mrs Scott, and thought that the women were undoubtedly the best advocates of the cause, seeing that they were tho chief sufferers through drink. Choir, "We'll Crown Them with Koses."

Mr Dixon, fourteen years a teetotaler, gave a history of his temperanco life, and although he had mixed up with a heavy drinking lot during his apprenticeship, he had always been a manly youth and resisted the temptation.

Mrs Scott, a middle aged lady, who speaks with a decided Scotch' accent and has a very earnest, pleading, and forcible manner in drawing imaginary pictures of tho evil effects of drink among men and women, said that next to the gospel tho temperance cause had the chief place in her heart. She related the good work done in Canterbury by the Women's Temperanco Society, and appealed to the Wairarapa women t) follow their example. Her lecture was a continuous string of her experiences among drunkards, told in such an emotional manner that when she finished speaking by saying her heart and hands were itching to " pin on tho blue," a large number immediately went to the front and donned the color, during which operation the choir rendered several pleasing sclec tions.

Mr Oatfc stated that the strength, of the army in Carterton and Greytown was 233 and 117 respectively, and he hoped that before long Masterton would take the lead,

Several other speakers briefly addressed the meeting, when Mr R. Hornblow, secretary of the Phcenix Lodge, 1.0. G.T., thanked Mis Scott for her able and sincere advocacy of the cause, the choir and Carterton friends generally for their disinterestedness in travelling to Masterton for the benefit of the temperance movement, which was making such rapid strides in the Wairarapa through their agency, About seventy persons were induced to take the ribbon during the evening. The meeting broke up about ten o'clock when the Carterton, contingent, numbering about fifty, returned home by brakes and other conveyances.