WAIRARAPA GOSPEL TEMPERANCE UNION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2436, 27 October 1886, Page 2

WAIRARAPA GOSPEL TEMPERANCE UNION.

A meeting of the Goipel Temperance Union was held in the Wesleyan Chapel last night, Mr B. P. Perry in the chair. The attendance was not very large, but

the programme was gone through with spirit by the members. Mr' Glass apologised fur fcheabseriseof the Rev. Fulton and Buttle. The Chairman said that he came from Cornwall where the miners wtiejithey t(ut their pay used to eat and drink to excess, but he never would help them, and they said he would be a bigger drunkard than they were some day, but he thought the were mistaken. Still, he remembered the time when he thought nothing of having a glass of liquor, though he could never at any time say he liked the taste of it. He remarked that the Temperance cause had made more progress now that Ministers considered that drutikenues was a sin i ban it had done before, especially as the Ministers who had hitherto set their congregations aJbad example, were now leading them on'to fight the iintemperance whichwas before doing them so much harin. He would open the evening's programme by calling on Miss Pelling to give them a song. - Miss Pelling complied in a most effective manuer, for which she was applauded. ' The Chair mail then called upon Mr C. Dixon to "ive them a short address.

Mr Dixon said he did uot wish to be hard on the hotelkeepers, but he hoped in time to win them over to the cause by kindness (cheers). He ; thought it the duty of temperance tueii to tight against intemperance wherever it exiated. Mrs John Beere sang an amusing song which was" well'received.-

Mr Holdaway being; called upon said he was not in very" good speaking trim. He thought they all knew New Zealand had been electrified by hearing of a poisoning case, in which the -offender had been brought' to justice and punished ; but they had not heard of. the hundreds of other people who were slowly being poisoned by intemperance. -He referred to the effect which the advent of the English nation had upon the native races. Wherever the white men appeared, the native races slowly but surely became extinct. because of the deadly fire water brought amongst them. He. considered that prohibition was doimr great work for the places in which it had been established, and- be hoped to see the day when New Zealand would be prosperous aud happy under the same restriction (cheers).

Mesdanies Spooner and Blaber and Mr Betty rendered a trio in good style. Mr Glass addressing the meeting expressed pleasure at their old friend Mr Peiry being Chairman. He said whenever •* King Alcohol" reigned, he would be to the front in opposing him. He hoped others would help him. Mr Betty gave a bass so]o, which was much appreciated. Mr Graham said he would like to have seen a larger attendance at this meeting. He wished the members would make it a point of bringing their friends forward, and they would then have larger meetings than the one present that evening. He also intimated that if anyone wished to take the " bit of blue", they could then do so. The meeting then terminated.