TEMPERANCE NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3794, 25 April 1891, Page 2

TEMPERANCE NOTES.

Temperance Among the London Bookers-

The London Star says :—" The splendidly improved look of the dockers who marched in Sunday's great procession must have set a good many people wondering whether Norward was right when he said the increased wage of the docker had only made bim more idle and dissolute than before. There is such a notable con<trast between what the docker was and what he is as of itself would give the lie to such a statement. But the actual facts as to how the increased wage has been used are enough to make the heart of the social refotmer rejoice exceedingly. The increased wage has been used to lift up the moral average of the whole East-end of London. "The Dockers' Union has a flourishing temperance society, whose membership is confined to Union men. In many of the branches every man is a pledged abstainer. Out of 170 branch secretaries over 130 are teetotallers. Their increased money has gone to make their own homes better instead of the publicans'. Of our own personal knowledge we could tell of at leadt a score of cises where an unskilled docker has this summer-sent his wife and children for a week to the seaside for the first time in the history of the family. And what has been going on within our personal' knowledge has been going on, say the officials of the union, amongst the whole mass cf the men.

"An interesting example of the influence for good exercised by tho union officials happened a while ago. In one of the branches there were three men whose intemperance ga?e great trouble to the secretary, who often expostulated with them in vain about it. Finally Clem Edwards, who has been responsible for the organisation of Sunday demonstration, went and urged them to give up the evil habit. Halt in joke they promised to take the pledge if Clen would too. And Clen did, and has worn the blue ribbon ever since, and has had the satisfaction of seeing the three men completely reformed by the practical force of his ready example.