The White Ribbon. "For God, and Home, and Humanity" WELLINGTON, JUNE 1, 1947. GOOD WORK IN HAWKE’S BAY

White Ribbon, Volume 19, Issue 5, 1 June 1947, Page 4

The White Ribbon. "For God, and Home, and Humanity" WELLINGTON, JUNE 1, 1947. GOOD WORK IN HAWKE’S BAY

We are grateful to the Hawke’s Hay Union for this account of their spectacular Election effort, and have much pleasure in publishing it in the present issue. This is a somewhat belatv'd news note concerning the Hawke’s Biy District Union Show Stand pre-election effort, but as such displays can be very worthwhile, and should, we believe, be made more use of in the interval between polls, this little rej>ort in spite of its late appearance, may be of interest and perhaps of some help to other unions. When the Hawke's Bay District Union definitely decided to attempt such a display, it sought the co-oi»eration of newlyformed branches of the N.Z. Alliance, and the Hastings Alliance particularly was indeed of tremendous assistance, its men-folk taking full resj>onsibility for the erection of marquees and such-like. An extensive calico sign stretched across the top of the marquee, and as the crowds of people entered the main gate to the show-ground, they were “hit in the eye” a* it were, inescapably, and told by means of this huge sign, to “Vote for l’rohibift tion.

In the two tents or marquees were all kinds of posters displayed on every inch of wall space, set off by howls of flowers and shrubs. In the front centre of one

was a revolving gramophone disc, with an arrangement which held eight i>osters, and it is really amazing how valuable a MOVING display can be —it attracts the attention very definitely, and young and old stop to read.

Literature? Yes; piles and piles of it; a tremendous lot ot which found its way into the hands and pockets of the large crowds passing by. Not an easy job, this giving out ot literature, oh no! Some abuse, much argument, some very sympathetic encouragement—but, with it all, the smiles and patience of the ladies of the stall won the day. Those who were approached were asked pleasantly to put tliis literature into their pockets and take it home to read at their leisure and the result? At the end of the day, of all the quantity of leaflets distributed, scarcely a score could be found littering that huge area of ground. That in itself was a triumph indeed.

Humour? Yes, much of that, and not only from the Stall ladies whose sense of humour was much in evidence —and HAD to be. A shoe-shop display card was set up to draw attention to the fact that the money spent on drink at 2/- a day, in three months would otherwise give about £9 t owards providing the family with shoes. One well-dressed lady came to the writer and said in her stylish way, “Oh, where do you give the order for a pair of shoes? I have always to have mine made,” etc. When matters were explained to her, her interest literally fizzled out. She believed in letting people have the drink if they were fools enough to drink it. She had made the rule that, if her boy spent his money in drink, then he had to go without other things, and she had told him how silly he looked when he had been drinking, and so he had learned not to take too much.

One young man, whose breath was a big tell-tale, felt very brave in coming to us and telling us “what a silly lot of women” we were. “Giving out papers is easy. Why • don’t you do something worth while —Plunket work for instance?" and much more in the same vein. Yes, humour, but humour with sadness, which made one yearn to help all such to a truer conception of life at its best.

At the end of the second day all were thankful indeed to up and know the ..work was done, ;ut all went home feeling that it had been well worth the doing. The result? Well, that is in Other Hands tiian ours, but we do firmly believe that if each does her part to the

very best of her ability, God honours the very smallest effort and will bring it to fruition in His own good time. —R.L.