TEMPERANCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1733, 11 July 1884, Page 2

TEMPERANCE.

The sixth anniversary of tho formation of tiieKechabite Tent was celebrated afttho Salvation Army barracks last night by a\tea and Bocial gathering. A prominent part of the enter amment was suppli,d by tho OarnntiSf attended under the leadership of Mr Beeoher. Thev were at least 30 atrong, and they quite delighted the audience with their performance. THE CHIEF RDMB]OF THK TENT.

Bro. W. M. Easthope (Chairman), in opening the meeting, explained the nature and working of the Society. Kechabitism was often confounded with Good Templarv and other temperance organisations, butut was different froa these inasmuoh as itMs a benefit Sooiety. By the weekly Ik ment of Is Id to Is 6d, members secured tho following benefits :-Dootor's attendance and medicines for themselves and families free • £1 a week during the first twelve months of sickness, 10s per week during the next six months, and 5s per week after until recovery; the funeral allowance on the death of a member was £2O and on the dejtiLof a member's wife £lO. The benefitsTßy. ablo from such a society were dwelt'&pon, and those present were invited tj become members, and to induce their friends to join also. The advantage of being a member of a temperance benefit Society was also enlarged upon. It bad been objected to by some of those from whom assistance had been expected that the Salvation Army Barracks was not a place in which they would care to appear, and thus the whole burden of entertaining the people thrown upon what he might term theffck and file of the temperance men. The presence of such a number of people showed that it was a suitable place.—(Loud cheers.) -He went on to. say that the temperance reformation must go on; those who will not help in the work must stand aside or else he pushed aside-(cheers)-and they may blame themselves if they are handled a little roughly in the process.- .The programme of. the evening was of a varied and pleasing character, and he would now ask Miss Corbett to favor them by openina the proceedings with a pianaforte selection. Mm Corbett responded and her performance was fully appreciate! by the audience, Captaidßowerman followed, and in a lively speech recommended them to join the join the RecbaMte Order, where they would get so muoh a week tor being ill, and their physic for nothing I flo belonged to a benefit sodiety but it was thousands ofcdHfe away, He was a Patriarch—(iaughSPdida'the look a goad old sort—(roavs of laughter). He bolieved drink to be the greatest power the Devil had against mankind. He believed that if the Temperance organisations aud all Christians combined together in one grand scheme they would be crush out this evil in their midst, and Compel liquor shops to close or sell tea and coffee, He had met with a lot of people who, before they were teetotallers, took a five or fifty pound note and did not care what they spent it on, or how fast. But as soon as they gave up drinking strong liquors, put two extra buttons on their trousers pockets and would Rive sixpence to nothing without thinking twice. He'put before them the necessity of providiug the public with a substitute for hotels in the shape of coffee palaces, as existing at Home and in Melbourne and other large centures. He would say God bless every orgiuiaatioa that works for the one common object of suppressing drunkenness and its cause, and may they bo united. He concluded by wishing success to the Itehabite order. Mr G. Colter followed with a well rendered song, which bro ight forth an encore.

Mr Kingdon, who was cheered ou rising, said he had been ,i3kod by a number of his temperance friends to render an account of his stewardship as a member of the* iug Committee. He was glad to temperance cause was rising in public favor. He proceeded to speak upon the present candidates for representation in Parliament, butfoe audience showod a decided objeotioa to listen with patience. ' [Mr Fielding at this stage said tho speaker should not refer to one candidate any more than the other.—(Hear! hear 1)] The Chairman said this meeting was not open for the discussion of tho relative claims oi the candidates,- (Cheers), Mr Kingdon then went on to explain tho position ho stood in on the Licensing Committee, that he was alone and unsupported in anything he had attempted to carry id. the cause of temperauce on that Committee. The acts of the last meeting for granting renewalj of hconses were i legal, and he would refer them to clause 42 of tho Act. (A voice: Uh! give us a tune on tho harmonium !) After some further remarks on the same subject, ho sat down amid cheers,

After a performance from tho choir, Mr Baumber gave a short, energetic speech, whiuh included the history of the Tiibe of Beohab, who were to the present day dwellera in tents on the JKed Sea 70,01i0 strong, The Choir then sang 'Let us arisjjfcd the audience loudly exprcssad their appßßl. Mr Holdaw y followed with a short ahdress which was to tho point, and showed the broad and liberal minded views ho he'd on the great question of the day, and the best means in his opinion of suecesAilly dealing with if Mr Wickersnn then favored tho audience with a solo, Miss Coibstt accompanying him at the piano, the song was loudly applauded, The Masterton String Band was announced, amidst loud applause, and rendered an operatic selection with great effect. One of the ladies ot the Carterton Choir sang ' On the Bright Golden Shore,' an encore being vociferously demanded. Tho leader of the Choir explained that by,'a rule they had, an encore was never given The Choir cave 'The Village Bells,' and Mr Girdwood next followed with an original reading, which was cheered at certain places where it hit, Mr Gant appeared, amidst cheers, and favored those present with a song which was rendered in his well known manner, and. after loud calling he cheerfully responded with another equally as well sung. Mr Beccher sang n eolo. the rolrain being taken up hy the whole ot the Choir, the parts being simply perfect. The Chairman proposed a vofco of thanks to the Carterton Blue Kibbon Choir who had so kindly corns up at great personal inconvenience to themselves—without asking in what building they were to meet-ta assise in making the meeting a success. The proposal was carried with cheers. Tin Secretary (Mr J, Brown) thanked IheMasterton String Baud and all the a*r ladies and gentlemen who had so Ai contributed to the pleasure and profit on|fe evening. The doxology concluded tho meeting.