Union and Temperance News.

White Ribbon, Volume 1, Issue 3, 1 September 1895, Page 5

Union and Temperance News.

PROGRESS IN CANTERBURY.

The Christchurch Union have reason to be gratified at the measure of success attending Miss Kirk’s meetings in the Canterbury district. Each branch has been stirred up, new members have been enrolled, and the aims and work of the Union have been set before the public in able, womanly addresses. We elsewhere give our readers an opportunity of judging for themselves as to the matter of these speeches, which, we may say, were enriched and enlivened by apt quotations and humorous touches in a manner we cannot attempt to reproduce. At Christchurch Mrs Smalley and Mr T. E. d aylor shared the labours and honours w’ith Miss Kirk at the public meeting, the utterances of each being stimulative and instructive. Two afternoon meetings were held, one at the Coffee Rooms, where Miss Kirk specially pleaded for scientific temperance instruction at Band of Hope

meetings. The other afternoon gathering met in the spacious drawing-room of our hospitable member, Mrs Warded. About forty ladies attended, and after stimulating their brains by means of sundry cups of tea, devoted all their mental powers to the consideration of words which fell from the lips of Miss Kirk, Rev F. W. Isitt, and Mr T. E. Taylor. Personal responsibility and influence formed the theme of Miss Kirk’s address. Every woman can at least influence, not her own family merely, but the butcher and baker, the milkman and pedlar, who come to her door day by day. One lady suggested that the probability of being harangued on the benefits of total abstinence, and asked to sign the pledge, might prove an antidote to the pedlar epidemic. Mr Isitt and Mr Taylor so vividly set forth the evils, woes, and horrors of the drink traffic as to induce several ladies to join the Prohibition League as well as the Union. At Ashburton the meeting was held in the Weslevan Church, which was filled. The Rev G. B. Inglis presided, while Miss Kirk’s associates were Mrs Andrews and Revs Olphert and A. Blake. At Timaru counter-attractions militated somewhat against the attendance. The quality of the meeting was, however, judging by reports, quite up to the mark. Miss McLean took the chair, while Rev C. E. Beecroft and Mr Grainger showed their sympathy by giving short addresses. Miss Kirk kept the attention of the audience for upwards of an hour. Capital public meetings were also held at Kaiapoi, Rangiora, and Lyttelton, and at each place special facilities were also afforded the leaders for converse with ihc Recording Secretary.