ADDRESS GIVEN BY MRS HIETT, DOMINION VICEPRESIDENT AT THE WELCOME RECEPTION, MARCH 3

White Ribbon, Volume 20, Issue 3, 1 April 1948, Page 6

ADDRESS GIVEN BY MRS HIETT, DOMINION VICEPRESIDENT AT THE WELCOME RECEPTION, MARCH 3

When we pray, “Lead us not into temptation, hut deliver us from evil, we are answering that prayer as we endeavour to eradicate liquor from our country. There is no one present who does not know that the Liquor Traffic is a stupendous evil from which our country should be delivered. A serviceman in the last war said, 1 here is no question that if no one in the Army were using liquor we would have the best physical army of any.” He continued, “To take away the soldiers right to obtain it at public houses whilst civilians are allowed to bn it, would be wrong. Liquor should be taken off the market altogether.” Some soldiers believed as this man did. They saw the devastation of war, they also saw that dri tk furthered the devastation and suffering. The only way to overcome the drink evil is to abolish it. We are looking to our Churches to give the leadership. Churches a.e placed here and there through our country. They preach the gospel of salvation, they also work to overcome evil practices, and e\il tendencies that they might save men and women for Christ’s Kingdom. We have had the sad experience of seeing men and women fall awav from God through drink. This alcoholic poison is one of the best weapons of the devil to destroy the souls of men and women. That is why we are looking to our Churches for leadership. Some of our Churches are giving the lead. When the whole Church of God takes action to eliminate drink, abolition of the Liquor Traffic will be in sight This is the work for the Church of God. Because some Christians have their eves open something is being done As you know, one of the recommendations of the “Royal Commission” was drinking in restaurants. T am glad to sav that the W.C.T.U. was the first organisation to oppose this suggestion. Some of otir leading men said it was too soon to make protests, but we did not think so. When the clanger threatened Masterton, all temperance advocates woke up. ami protests rolled in from W.C.T.L., \ 7 Alliance, Churches, and Rechabites to such an extent that the proposal to have restaurant drinking in Masterton was dropped Does it pay to protest? Yes. Some folk think we waste time sending resolutions. Masterton saved from restaurant drinking is a proof that resolutions are useful. 1 sometimes wonder if Britain is being allowed to suffer, that her eyes may be opened to the need of abolishing drink. She has given so much for the safety of the world.. She did not stint in her sacrificial giving, and now she is in sore straits, but there is still a great evil that must

be eliminated. The drink trade is holding Britain down. Her drink bill in 1946 was £680,000,000. For every £1 spent in food 15/6 was spent in drink and tobacco. Can anyone sum up in their minds, the broken homes, broken lives, broken hearts, lives cut short, souls lost through the use of £680,000,000 of drink in one year, and in our little land our drink bill of £13.000.000? We stand amazed beforethe ravages of drink. Let us not be dumb. Many millions of people are starving. Fno ugh grain could be saved to feed these millions by clamping down on brewing. American distilleries at the request of President Truman closed down for 60 days towards the end of 1047 and saved from between 10,000,000 to 20,000.000 bushels of grain for Europe—in 60 days.

Mr. Stakesby Lewis from South Africa cabled Mr. Attlee, “In view of desperate food position avoid such wanton waste in production of liquor, and wrote a letter following: “The whole world is tired of the wasting of foodstuffs. We hope and pray that the British Nation will not be misled by the liquor interests.” God grant that Britain will shake off the shackles. The Prohibition vote in the United States is growing rapidly, so much so that liquor men are advising to cut out excesses or the country will go dry. The W.C.T.U. in the United States had a mind to work, may God arouse the women of New Zealand to do likewise.

\t Christmas we sang and recited the blessed song of the Angels, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward inen. and we long for the day when God will he glorified and when peace and goodwill prevails in every land. God s message to us is, “Re ye doers of the word and not hearers only.” The drink trade is notably engaged in disintegrating the best interacts of men and women, making it harder to promote peace and goodwill and making it easier for them to be at their worst. Is this not a challenge to us as doers of the word to he eagerly employed in saving our fellows from the destroying influence of drink. How lon fT is the liquor traffic to be allowed to stand in the way of peace and goodwill? A better world cannot be as long as this c\il remains. During the dark days of the war there was no stint of sacrifice. Friends, are we willine to give the service of our lives to this cause? You will bear folk sav Prohibition cannot prohibit. What about food rationing? Is that not prohibition carried out successfully? Never again can the excuse for keeping drink on the market because it cannot be prohibited be given as a ’•eason against its abolition. Are you training your sons and daughters to be leaders? Are you giving them a vision of a world without drink? Have you seen blearyc\ed men and women shamblin'" their wav to a lost eternity? Have vou seen little children deprived of their right to he well fed. well clothed,

deprived of their right to be happv and joyous? Children full of fear, cowed, unhappy, dreading the return of father or mother. Have vou seen the crowds of young men and women in hotel bars forgetting their modesty, and their manliness, drowning all that is best, in drinking cocktails, wine, and beer? My friends, are you willing to lend a hand to train the young, your own and others, to deliver the world from this evil? When you pray, “Deliver us from evil” you will he answering that prayer as you and yours lend a hand. The poppies are blooming in Flanders, Hiding the crosses bare But the spirit of youth still is living Ready to do and to dare. Young people are ready if we are. Frances Willard helped make the world wider for women and more homelike for humanity. She had the will to serve and bear—the will to love and dare. She has reaped her reward. We are here to carry on. We are here at this very time in this strange age of upheaval, not by chance but for God’s purpose. To be alive in such an age, To live in it, to give to it, Rise soul from thy despairing knees, Give thanks with all thy flaming heart. Crave but to have in it a part, Give thanks, and claim thy heritage To be alive in such an age. I was attracted to the W.C.T.U. because it stands for thp prohibition of the liquor trade; it proclaims the gospel of peace and goodwill and stands for a w’orld-wide family of nations. It stands for home protection, for a safe path for children’s feet, it promises hope to the tempted and help to the suffering, it believes in the coming of Christ’s Kingdom. God grant that many women in our beloved New' Zealand will gladly throw in their lot with women of love and goodwill, the W.C.T.U. Will you do your part in this age to w'in vour friends, to win others to join in this great fellowship and be doers of the word. We could win 5,000 w-omcn in one year. Shall w'e make the number f‘tf 1948 1,000 new' members? If women w r on one per month by next Convention we could have 6.000 new members, so 1,000 should not be difficult. Let us make a target. A new member a month. Bv so doing we arc overcoming the liquor hurt and saving a multitude of souls.

I appeal to all women of goodw’d to do the practical, sound, ar.d adventurous job of gaining new members Don’t let us smell of mothballs. but let us be adventurers of God, Home, and Humanity.