PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS.

White Ribbon, Volume 24, Issue 287, 19 May 1919, Page 8

PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS.

Dear Sisters, —• Our Convention is two months late. W> postponed it, prayed and planned for it, and worked as never before to make it historic. We thought our rallying cry would be Victory, our prayers all thanksgivings, our dominant note praise, but here we are assembled with our slogan, “We will see this thing through,” still unaltertered, our prayers still suppliant, the* disappointment of defeat heavy upon us, but with our faith in God unshaken, and through Him and with each other to gather up our forces and decide what next. The year just passed has been one of the most eventful in our reform, and full of ceaseless activity. Our first effort was the preparation of and presenting to Parliament a petition containing 242,000 signatures, asking for an immediate referendum on the Efficiency Board’s proposal of Prohibition with Compensation to be decid ed on a bare majority vote. At the same time our Unions and r.ome churchs started a season of definite prayer in the home and at special meetings, and in answer to our supplications the desired poll was granted to us, and six o’clock closing, which had been given only as a war measure, made permanent by Act of Parliament. But before we could muster <»ut forces to consider plans of campaign. there came the glad proclamation of victorious pea< e, the* four years of dreadful war had ended in glorious victory, the greatest conflict in the history of the world had come to an end, but while the songs of rejoicing Were vet on our tongues, the scourge of war was followed by the scourge of disease, and the events of the* great war sunk into partial insignific ant e under the shadow of pneumonic influ enza, which sw »pt tho world, levying a fearful toll upon human life and health. \ 11 classes of the* community, including White Kibboners in every centre, did what the\ could to minister to tin* sick and dying about them, and were the full story told we should doubtless hear of heroism and self-sacrifice on the part of Christian women equal to anything witnessed in recent years upon the battlefield. With the tragedy of pestilence resting heavily upon us, we plunged into the campaign against the Trade that has done more harm than w tr, plague, and famine put together. Never have we put up such a fight, never had we such a number of speakers that came from far and near, including politicians, professors, doctors, ministers, and laymen, returned soldiers, representatives of Labour, and women. We had the Bishop of Christchurch and Father Cronin advocating our cause; we had the whole weight of the Nonconformist Church; we had the heart and brain of the Labour party; we had the Acting Premier’s voice as first citizen; and we had the co-operation of the Efficiency League. In manv cases the

Press was more sympathetic than heretofore. For the first time on record the “Maoriland Worker," which is the journal of the Labour party, do dared in favour of Prohibition, while the religious pallets, especially the “Outlook,” rendered magnificent ser vice. Then we had the inffticme of the children, who appealed lor votes by songs, processions, ano specta* ular demonstrations; and, more imIHirtant than all, the numbers in our I’nion who individually and collectively gave themselves to unceasing prayer. Vet we have not won the hoped-for victory. How have we lost? Hv the soldier vote they polled such a big majority for Continuance, and the manv who were oposed to Compensation for fear of taxation. The last defence of the Trade is that liquor revenue helps to p. \ the taxes, the truth is that Drink is our greatest public debt-maker and our greatest public burden. Then our opponents made a great cry about whisky being necessary to lure influenza and its acompanying pneumonia, and gave a superabundance of unsolicited advice, at the same time showing their dense ignorance of the effect of alcohol on the human system, and an equal lack of knowledge as to the attitude of intelligent physic ians generally towards liquor as a medical temedy, and because of the dread malady that so recently has taken such a terrible toll of human life, some believed them, anil refused to vote against alcohol. One cannot help asking if alcoholic, liquor is a “cure” foi this disease, wh\ is it not a preventive? No one can dispute the fact that heavy drinkers are usually fatal cases in pneumonia. Physiology has found that alcohol is out of place jn human insides, and that statistical and acUiarial science has demonstrated that even steady drinking, not more than what is ordinarily called moderate, raises the death-rate over So per rent. But whatever the reason, the fact remains we air not on the winning side. We did not obtain out objective, so we must woik on until we fl Dr. Waddell tells the story of a little < ompany of wai weary soldiers teat were halted for rest alongside a certain rude entrance. A Bo< he shell screamed thi-Migb the air and fell beside them, and a fragment of it got the youthful Captain. With the last sui of his departing life he raised himself, looked into the eyes of his lieuteunt, and said “the ordei is Forw »id," and fell back dead. That is the spirit that won the war; the same spirit will win ours. It is great to know that money is at our disposal, that science is in our favour. It is greater to know that men of all classes are on our side. The greatest of all is the knowledge that God b our Leader, and while we trust in Hirr we must win. though victory is long delayed. For a generation the Drink Traffic has stayed the march of higher and better things; it has been an obstacle in the path of

the forces of truth and righteousness, and it will resist to the last gasp all efforts to overthrow it, and as the ob iect of our organisation is to destroy it, root and branch, we must unflinch inglv tight until we have banished this great offence to (iod. THK WORLD AGAINST LIQCOR. We rejoice greatly with our American sisters in the glorious fact that on January i(>, 1020, the I’nitcd States will be “dry” throughout the length and breadth of its enormous territory, and affecting a population of over 100,000,000 men, women, and children. We take the liberty of copying the following from a recent “I'nion Signal”;—“America has erected a great Prohibition Lightbhouse that is sending its gleams to the far coiners of the world. In every country where campaigns of education or legislation are in progress America is the unanswerable indisputable argument for Prohibition. Our temperance papers have been filled with the success of the anti liquor movement in America. It is exploited from the platform and pulpit; it is blazoned in posters on the walls and buildings. Do the slow of understanding insist that Australia cannot afford to relinquish its vlnnk revenue. The Prohibition champion will pull from his pocket a signed statement from th»* Governor of one of the Prohibition States testifying to the unexampled financial prosperity of communities and States ih.it have been rel'vved of the buidtn of raring for the victims i* the liquor traffic. l)o the agents of the liquor interests in New Zealand protest that the elimination of the traffic in Dunk would work ruin, that commercial interests would erase to thrive, that hotels would be without patrons, and stores without customers, some well-informed advocate of ‘dryness* will send a cablegram from the Max or of Seattle and silence every objector by the emphatic answer that no law enacted has been such a pros|M*rit> promoter as that whi'h abolished saloons, breweries, :tnd distilleries. Does some einploxer • f the booze interest bring forward the labour argument: the army of men out of employment; \meriian labour leader in drx States will send back an answer true and strong that Prohibition in every instance has safeguarded t’ae health and efficiency of the working man, and wherever fairlv tried has been approved of by them.” And because of America’s achievements we salute our White Ribbon sis*ers, and Tjoice with them that thc r prayer.* and self-denying toil and unquenchable enthusiasm have now received a glorious crown. Canada is bone dry, bleai hed white, and over our sister Dominion floats the Prohibition flag, and even dav she is proving that the benefits gained are so incalculable that the very thought of going back to the old system is quite out of the question. The temperance societies of ('.rent Britain are in possession of much evi-

dence showing that in spite of the Government limitations in the output of beer, there is still enough drinking to impaii the health, efficiency, and discipline of the soldier, deplete the food supply, and sap the economic strength of the working people. Strenuous efforts are being made to secure State Purchase, but evidently public sentiment is much opposed to furnishing money to buy out the liquor traffic. In France over one thousand drink shops have been closed in Rouen, Havre, Dieppe, and in the ricinities of Lower Seine. The l nioo is lending every eneigy to awaken public opinion and influence the public powers take action against the sale of alcohol. The Minister of Armaments said recently: “At the end of the war there will have to be a readjustment of the alcohol question from the standjK)int of the higher interests of the country. The industrialisation of alcohol, and not the akoholisation of the individual, will be the programme to be realised.” Prohibition has prevailed in Belgium by the Royal decree of King Albert. W e hojie it will b: easy for her people, after having driven out the curse of invasion, to prevent the return of the other curse, alcoholism. Holland has organised a National Local Option League to educate the people in total abstinence principles; a memorial asking, for local option, signed by over (mx»,o<x> citizens, has recently been sent to the »^ueen. Russia, who took sin h a magnificent foiward step in Prohibition, fell from being a world hope for freedom, and is now a \\<>ild menace and a world problem. The Parliament of Japan has enacted a law, which went into effect on the ist of this month, prohibiting the sale to or giving intoxicants to minors. The W.C.T.I’. in India sent a memorial appealing to the Governments of all civilised countries of the world to be presented at time and place of Peace negotiations. Powerfully they state their cause, and ask that a decisive step be taken against the acknowledged curse of the earth, strong ill ink. The memorial is signed bv the Executive Committee of the National W.C.T.IL of India, numbering 4ixx) members. China had the opium treaty forced upon her by a Western nation, and after years of degradation she was able to break that treaty. Now she fares a fact equally horrible. Du - ing the past two years American brewers, who have been forced to relinquish theii hold on their victims in that land, have been pouring into China. Bv way of inducement to the Chinese officials to sell territory to the brewers for the erection of their plan's, the enormous revenue that will result therefrom is being urged, and poverty-stricken China is facing this dire temptation. In her struggle against this new evil China is not left without help. The W.C.T.U. for 20

a ears has had organisations i n Pekin and cities of the Yangtse Valley, and l)r. Mary Stone, China's National President, tells of a branch organised at Chingkiang that last year increased in its membership from 23 to 1400. Surely with such a growth of temperance forces will come the power to emancipate their own land from the unscrupulous and infamous liquor tragic. Six Presidents of the coloured WC.T.I. in South Africa sent to the Government a protest against the pro l»osed legislation to allow the sale of Kaffir malt beer of approved strength to natives and coloured persons in ( anteens unde*- strict State contn !, and under such restrictions as to en sure that no diunkenness or disoi derly conduct takes place. They tell of the work of pioneer missionaries who taught them the golden rule, who taught them that civilisation was the forerunner of Christianity, and that loyalty’s compensation was justice and freedom. - They loyally accepted the message, but what was happening to them? They were more and more receiving slave law, their sons and husbands are being ruined by Kathr beer sales, and they themselves forced to accept labour. No »estriction of the traffic could mitigate the evil. Their only safety was in prohibition, and that was being denied them. The Australian W.C.T.U. sent an appeal to the British Women’s Temperance Association asking them to use their influence with the Prime Minister and Government to induce them to pledge themselves to do al! in their power at the Peace Conference to secure the prohibition of the export tc and importation into negro count!ieand places of settlement of any kind of beverage containing alcohol. The world’s tragedy and the world’s need have led people of all classes to see what drink really is and does. And so the world seems united in at least one determination, to check the domination of alcohol. Lloyd Georges’ recent charge to the labour men of Fngland is as truly applicable to our forces to-day as it could be to those for whom first intended: “You must go on or go under.” And we must go on. Already thousands of soldiers have returned; thousands more, who vo>d for Continuance, are coming home. We want vo win their vote for Prohibition. fin* campaign just closed was strenuous; the next one, already commenced, will be still more so. W r e shall have three issues on the ballot paper. Father must he carried hv a majority of those who vote. Many who were with us at the last poll express favour with State Purchase. It must be proved to them that it is a failure wherever tried. If the State should own the trade, we, being part of the State, would be partners in the traffic. That can never be; we must fight to the death to prevent it. W’e must organise into a fighting force every bit of intelligent energv against drink. We must ut-

tempt things we have never dared at tempt before, and to use our time, latent, and energy more efficiently than in all the days that are past. Our slogan lor the vear must lx- Pray t n, March on, Carry on. The prayer meetings must continue; nothing else can take their place. Restraining prayer, we cease to fight. “The magnitude of the timet are so great nothing human can compass them, but God has pressed into our hands the supreme instrument of approai h to flimself, so let us Pray. The Ashburton Onion is sending for their annual greeting, “Not by might, nor by power, but bv My Spirit, saith the l.orct.” This is the equipment we need. We cannot march 01 carry on without it. 1 call on this j>4th Convention in the supreme hour of our nation's need to measure up to the responsibility! and privilege of this opportunity. Then* must be no relaxation from strenuous work, but plans to make it more effective. No standing still anywhere, but in the name of our God and Mis Christ let us Pray on, March on. Carry on, until in His name we see this thing through.