Mrs. Hiett’s Address

White Ribbon, Volume 21, Issue 2, 1 March 1949, Page 7

Mrs. Hiett’s Address

At the Public Reception

The W.C.T.U. exists because it believes that the drink traffic is one of the greatest evils which curses our country today. We are convinced that the political power of the liquor traffic, coupled with the drinking habits of thousands of our people is one of the greatest hindrances to the establishing of national righteousness. The recent licensing legislation passed by our Government is a convincing demonstration of the political power of the liquor traffic to which I will refer later, but I wish to remind you that Britain’s drink bill is 678 million pounds—£49,ooo,ooo profit, tor whom 5 —the brewers, and New Zealand’s fifteen million. The N.Z. Government’s 'hare of that colossal sum is somewhere in the vicinity of four million pounds. What a price to pay tor all the devastating damage done to homes, to characters and to the destruction of the foundations of our civilisation. What are the foundations of our civilisation? Are they not truth., righteousness and justice? Then the question for us to answer is, what are we doing to help in our country’s affairs along lines of righteousness, truth and justice, in order to prevent the destruction of the foundations which are our very life? it has been thought that public life is not the place for the Christian, hut the devil may have his say in politics. It is only as we fight for the right and for the maintenance oh standards and principles acknowledged to he good and for the welfare of the community, that we can keep our national life on a high moral and Christian plane. The Christian Church must buckle on all its armour and go forth to fight like David of old. The Goliaths in all their wicked forms are boldly strutting up and down our land, demoralising and enslaving our people, young and old, and blatantly shouting defiance at the forces of righteousness, truth and justice. It seems to me sometimes that the tragic contrast of our day is the splendid efficiency of evil, and the pathetic impotence of goodness. We have allowed the cursed liquor traffic to so expand as to become a national menace, bringing misery and ruin upon thousands of women and children apart from the men weakened and enslaved in its toils. It is one of the great contributing factors to hospital admissions and is one of the major causes of out fairly high rate of mental defectives. It is safe to say that were this evil traffic to be eliminated from N.Z., crime in its worst phases would be greatly reduced. When 1 think of these things 1 remember David. He loked impotent enough when he faced the armour-clad Goliath, but, with God he was victor. The W.C.T.U. may appear to many to be impotent, but we have on the armour of God, and we fear no foe as we stand in the name of God for truth, righteousness

and justice, the very foundations of our country's civilisation. We are glad to be in this fight against all the Goliaths which the devil can muster. In reading an English magazine entitled “ Workers Onward,” 1 read this : “ Last year, 1947, Rt. Hon. Herbert Morrison, M.P., when addressing die Licensed Victuallers and Barsellers’ Protection Society at their annual dinner at Blackheath, ‘ expressed the hope that Parliament and the Government and the Licensed Trade would be able to live together in peace, friendship, and co-operation as long as possible.’ ” We in this country d<> have Women and Children’s Protection Societies, and I firmly believe that these would be unnecessary but for “ drink " What the Licensed Victuallers and Barsellers wish to he protected from is surely the W.C.T.U. and other Temperance folk. So take courage W.C.T.U. members and keep up a fusillade of shots at the Liquor Trade. The expressed hope that the Government and the Licensed Trade would live together in peace, friendship and co-operation is enlightening. Do you think that the same hope is in the hearts of our Parliamentarians and brewers? If so, then our fight must include the Government, because the Government has power to suppress the Trade instead of as at present giving it more power to continue its destructive devastating work. Six o’clock closing in jeopardy. Six versus ten. May God give us vision and backbone to pray and work to retain 6 o'clock. New South Wales and noticeably the W.C.T.U. of N.S.W., carried 6 o’clock in face of strong opposition. They prayed, and worked and watched, and sat all night in the House on the deciding night. Their very presence was a deterrent to those who were in favour of 10 o’clock closing. As you know a vote will be taken on off course betting at the same time. Every W.C.T.U. member and every friend of Temperance must be opposed to off course betting. May God help us to oppose with all our strength these wicked provisions for more drinking facilities and more betting facilities. To open up the King Country question and give the opportunity of voting in the Drink is iniquitous. The acting Prime Minister says “ that as the Maoris fought so bravely in the war they should have equal rights with the Pakehas.” No thought of breaking a solemn covenant, no thought of the destruction drink brings to the Maori race, but every thought for the brewers’ interests. Our primary task is to teach at every opportunity and in every suitable place the evil of " Drink." This is the most effective way to attack even governments. I was interested to notice that another M.P. in England,

Mr. Tomlinson, Minister of Education, in speaking of adult education said that it* should not he exclusively for schools and colleges, it ought to be taken wherever people met together. “Why not teach musical appreciation in a pub,” he said, “or hold art classes in a working men’s club.” 1 see no reason why art classes should not be held in a temperance working men’s club. That is surely an excellent suggestion. As far as my limited knowledge goes, musical appreciation is of a very low order in the ordinary public bar, and how it could be raised when those present arc fast losing their power to concentrate, or appreciate that which is worthwhile in music, with every glass of liquor they consume, is beyond my knowledge. A speaker said “ Alcohol makes a man stagger in his mind long before it makes him stagger on his feet.” It a man cannot think straight he cannot have a high conception of music or of any other art. The way to raise the standard of the people is for them to know’ the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ. He keeps the in mil clear and He increases the desire for that which enobles and edifies. 1 said the W.C.T.U. fears no foe, and l believe that we need not fear the brewers power. Just recently both on the West Coast and at Port Chalmers when drinking men went on strike against the price of beer, well, partial prohibition resulted, and the brewers were helpless. Again in Sydney in March, 194£, the 'brewery workers struck. The “Sydney Bulletin” reported the results of the strike in these words. “No beer; nothing happened; no demonstrations; no riots; no marches on the breweries. People discovered that they could really get along without the stuff, had more money to spare, got home earlier, had more time for the garden. Wharf labourers who had struck on the same day went back to work three days later having nothing else to do. Bosses all over the place discovered absenteeism reduced; the police announced, in pleased astonishment that crime had fallen off; accidents were fewer. Sydney, crow’ded for the Easter festivities became a quieter and more decorous city. The brewery strikers, by cutting off the beer flood, had forced large numbers to take an interest in things outside the realm of b/er.” The “ Sydney Morning Herald ” appeared with this heading in heavJ type “ Due to lack of beer the policelcrime and accident sheets were almost empty over Easter." The experience of Sydney has exploded the fallacy! that without beer social life would lollapse, but revealed that only social pod can come from curtailment of intfllncioating liquor. The foundations/ of our civilization are truth, rjflHfeousness and justice. These Toundations crumble when beer is enthroned. Let us use every opportunity to teach the evil of drink. Let everyone be in this crusade and we will see not partial prohibition through strikes, but total abolition through the will of the people.

Are w'e strong enough in our convictions to speak with assurance against the sinister suggestion that certain drinks are not intoxicating. A host or hostess will suggest port wine, which is more intoxicating than most wines. Another wall offer cocktails, many of which are more strongly alcoholic than whisky, and the tragedy is that these drinks are offered to young folk in the homes of quite wellmeaning people, who are ignorant of the insidious and life destroying results of their supposed good fellowship. The only wav of escape is by total abstinence. Christ can give the victory in this great fight for righteousness, truth and justice; justice to all, from the least, the little children, to the greatest. When we know the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ will we be able to fight with the certaintv of victory. Zeal, enthusiasm. h : gi ideals may urge us into the figbh *• t it is Christ who will give the victor . With Christ all things are possible.