TEMPERANCE ITEMS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4267, 12 November 1892, Page 3

TEMPERANCE ITEMS.

An Earnest Lecturer. " It creates a good impression when those who come before the public as reformers give proof by their actions of their disinterestedness-for deeds speak more loudly than words—andit must be admitted that Mr Tennyson has exemplified the principle in career in the Colonies, The S.A. Temperance News for August, 1890, (published in Adelaide) says: 'ln coming to Australia, Mr Smith did so • as a stranger but his widely acquired reputation bad preceded him, and immediately upon his arrival that prince of advance agents, Mr K. S. Smythe, waited upon him and endeavoured to secure a year's exclusive engagement of his lectures at a handsome fee per lecture. This offer Mr-Smith declined, but being a stranger, and having made no special pre-arrangemont with the Temperance organisations of South Australia, he consented to give two lectures under Mr Sraythe's auspices. These lectures clearly evinced the

groat ability of the 'second Gough,' and proved his capability to lay hold of and retain tho concentrated attention of his audiences: but feeling that while bis engagements to Mr Smythe would be exceedingly profitable to himself, it would tend to militato asainst the philanthropiccharaoter of twork, he declined to enter upon a ther agreement, and decided to lecture exclusively under the auspices of the Temperance Societies of the: Colony.' And as, unfortunately, many people are loth to credit leaders in the cause with unselfish motives, and would scarcely give crcdonce to tho bare statement of facts, wo may Bay that we have seen the original ' agreement (and we are in a position to vouch for its authenticity) between Mr E. Tonnyson Smith and the prince of lecture agents, Mr B. S. Smythe, in which the latter agrees to pay the lecturer 10 guineas per night for two nights' lecture in the Town Hall, Adelaide. A press copy of Mr Smith's letter decling a further engagement lies before us and we cannot do better than quote the terms. Adelaide, July 9. Dear Mr Smythe,~l have to thank you for cheque for twenty guineas—please find receipt enclosed. I think that as my work has a philanthropic object I ought to work Jor the Temperance and religious BOwties, although I am quite aware tffey will not be able to pay me nearly the fees you can afford. With kind regards believe me Faithfully yours, Ed. T. Smith. Moreover, the lecturer, immediately on declining to enter upon a further engagement with Mr B. S, Smythe, offered his services to temperance so. cities for half the fee Smytho had paid him." Mr Smith, it may he stated, during tho past six months in New Zealand has thrown open his lecturos free to the public, and has visited towne without aiiy guarantee'of remuneration from the Temperance SoittiN "Press."

A "teetotal" ascent of Snowdon from PetUy-gwryd was made on August 16th by Mr Walter Saunders, accompanied by a medical Mood,, The 4J mile climb to the suufmit of the mountain occupied If hours, and tho descent 1£ hours. The day's walking record was 32$ miles without guides, although tho routo takon was somewhat unsafe. Tho avornge of the tourists was a mile in 16 minutes. This result goes towards refuting the common delusion tbatu "weo drappio" in a flask or otherwise is an essential item in a climber's paraphenalia. A certain American ohaplain tells a story of a drinking man, who being in a saloou lato at night, heard tho wife of the saloon keeper siy to her husband, " Send that fellow home, it is late." No uever mind," replied her husband, "he is shingling our house for us. This idoa lodged in the mind of tlie drunkard, and ho did not return to the saloon for six months. When passing tho saloon keeper on the street, tho latter said : " Why don't you come around to my place auy more ? " Thank you for your kind hospitality," replied tho former victim, ■' I have been shingling ray ; own roof lately. Goneml Bidwell, ihoProbibitionist : candidate for the Presidential election ! now taking place in the United States j owns tho largest cultivated ranch in i California, 25,000 acres. Here he many years ago began to raise grapes, ! thinking to furnish a pure, unfor- , mentcd wine, but seeing it could not ; honorably bo carried out, lie had all ' his grape vines rooted up, and left the business altogether. The General ( was tho Prohibition party's candidate i for Governor of California two ' years ago, and polled 10,000 votes, < the largest number ever concentrated j around any one man in the annals of { Temperance in that State, 1

The annual session of the Grand Lodije of Scotland Independent Order of Good Templars, in connection with which there was a variety of meetings and functions, took place in Glasgow on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. The annual report shows an adult membership of 87,775, a decreiise of 1,176, and a juvenile memherehip of 26,102, an increase of 2,88*1 for the year. The total membership is thus 63,1)87, an increase over the year of 1,152, This is the largest number in any year since 188 C, The total income of the Grand Lodge for the year has been 12,888 3s,

Dr, Howe, of Massachusetts, reported to the Legislature of tho State: "That the habits of the parents of 300 idiots had beonlearned, and that 1-15 of them were known to be habitual drunkards,"

It may not ho generally known that the promoters of tho Canadian Pacific .Railway determined that strong drink should not be sold within ten miles of the line during its construction. One result waß that the railway, 4,000 miles in length, was completed without tho eommission'of a single serious crime, although thirty thousand men, of almost every nationality, were engaged in the work,