UNSECTARIAN GOSPEL TEMPERANCE MISSION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1914, 13 February 1885, Page 2

UNSECTARIAN GOSPEL TEMPERANCE MISSION.

i *— '— > A meeting (preceded by a tea) to ins augurate the opening of the above was ; h'eld'in the ljiajl jn Banpterg s.', which has recently' been made suitable for '. holding meetings. According to adver- ■ tisement MrG. W. Woodroofeoccupiedthe chair supported on the right and left by i twenty ladies and gentlemen interested in the work. " Captain" Francis opened the meeting wif;]} a, Sankey's hymn and : prajler'" iina ''tlie clipman stated the . obj'ect of t|}e mgeting.' 'He said' ho had not "been 'acculitqmef} tjTpj'eslde over n)§etvngß, pfthis bqt as he had 1 been asked by seyera) tp taie tlje chair that night, and having held temperance views from childhood he had acceded to the request. Ho referred to the great amount of time and. money wasted over alohqlic drinks in the colonies and he tlfen looked back to, a timp in his experience }n the pld country wljprp at pnecjmo during the famine pegple wero dying of . hunger whilst £5,000 a week was being drained out of the country to pay duty on intoxicants and tho smokp of distilleries aroso as thick as the bush fires around the district of Masterton at the present time, He knew nothing of his own knowledge of the effoots of drink upon the system, but he had come in contact with many who had that innate craving for the destroying element that nothing seemed to saiiafy, and many were the noble forms that had been shattered by its gradation, Mr Rogers,-' h] Response to the Chairman, gave with effect R lengthy bu.t ; well delivered recitation entitled " "The Soldier's crime." ■ Ho was followed by Mr Holdaway who gave a very able address on temperance as founded upon the truths of the Bible which he upheld with power. '"'"Mi- Wiokerom followed with a gong, "God bless the little Churoh around'the corner," which was loudly applauded. MrT. P. Girdwood who was cheered on rising said he always felt pleasure in saying a word or two in the cause of temperance, and although ho was at a loss to know the particular platform he was on that - ' flight, he would meet'- them ori tile" tad platfqrm pf Iterance (cjieors). 'He''tot not posseted of pratprical power, natural or acquired, but }m held views, ?n this question so brqad and so oxpansiye as tp wish to embrace the whole human family in itp interest. He had been told the moderate uge. qf good : things was right. So it was, but how about the moderate use of bad things, was that right? No! He had been a total ■ abstainer ever since he was five years old : and he had never tasted anything stronger '• pr better jjl)an his mother's milk (loud and ' prolonged cheers); Hjs, rnojljcr h.a.4 in- ' StilHinto himthqse b,ioa4 and liberal ] views of fceinperance whjch he boasted of ' that day. He had Been a gppd deaj pf evil arise from intemperance but he had never seen or heard tell of any good therefrom. Drink was a habit which grew • upon anyone that encouraged it. In this ' senje grnokjng 'was. a bad habit also although he was subject *9 ft (lighter). ! Men could be seen' toiling from pay tp ' day and saying money that would be Qf ' much use to them when past work. Yet, ! when they come into town the reward of J weeks of toil would, be thrown away in 1 drunkenesfl and nothing would be left but I the evil effects. He wished the move- ! ment every'success, and.trusted, tho platform wQuld-c'ontinue on the broad ground J of ■temperance; ' The collection was then introduced, the | audience meanwhile being treated with j some' well executed harmonium music. ' jThe Chairman announced amidst cheers. I that the collection amounted to the hand- a Sqme gum of £3 7s 6s, B "A duet'by Mr''and Mrs. Wopdjey "There are Ippoly heartito;cherisl}," 6 ! well rendered and received, • , " h Mr Kingdon then addwgd .-the meet, d ing in an able mariner upon, the: question ' before them. He had heard Mi Capper's lecture recently in Wellington,' and „| believed with him. that the only way to | fc

stop the ovil was to remove Ho himself had been a temperanSPsdvocate for twenty-one years. • Ho was applauded on resuming Ms seat. Mr Prangnell gave a readini? "To young men who love drink," but stated he would rather have given his own extempore views. Captain Francis concluded" with a statement of the platform upon which the present work was intended to be-condttc-ted, and a vote of thanks to the Chairman and to the ladies who had 7 bo' amply catered for tho tea, brought the meeting to a close. .-.'"•.■. -