W.C.T.U.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2763, 18 March 1910, Page 2

W.C.T.U.

ANNUAL GARDEN PARTV. The annual .garden party in connection with the W.C.T.U. was held yesterday afternoon at Mrs A. Graham’s, Ivaiti. There was a large gathering of members and their friends, and a very pleasant afternoon was spent. The Union hymn was sung and Mrs Graham, in a short speech, welcomed the visiters and spoke of their object in assembling that day to perpetuate the memory of Frances Willard, the founder of their Union, who, in the days when it was so hard for women to come forward, when prejudice and custom was so much against it, had organised this movement that now resulted in Unions in almost every country in the world.

Rev. F. W. Chutterton spoke appreciatively of the work cf the Union, of the wide scope cf its aims, and of the necessity cf all social and temperance work being both educational and legislative and including, as the Union endeavors to do. both these lines of work. He also spoke of the Bible-in-schools movement, which is included in the W.C.T.U. departments of work, and asked for the help and co-opera-tion of parents in making it as effective as it ought to be in Gisborne. Airs Walker then gave a repoit on the Convention which was recently held in Invercargill, and which she attended as delegate. She said that the Convention marked the silver jubilee of the W.C.T.U. in New Zealand. It was just 2-5 years, she stated, since Airs .Leavitt, one of Frances Millard's little band of workers, landed in Auckland and started a small union there based on Frances Millard's idea of organised mother love, which was the keynote of the union. Now there were in New Zealand 72 local unions, with a membership of over 24C0. and it was a good thing to feel that they had the ■power that went with nunfbofs, and especially numbers with the vote behind it. To-day they had a real power in the country, and were a force that must be reckoned with in politics. Reference was made by the president at the convention to the alteration and improvement of laws, especially those relating to women and children, and how directly and indirectly the M'cmen's Unions had helped these, and Airs M’alker remarked that ii: was .significant that representative men spoke of the “duty” of women tq concern themselves in the making of laws under which they and their children lived and worked. "I think they realise at last,” she said, “that most women are not very likely to want to rush into public life for the honor of it, and that when they do take a part in it it v.TI be with a sense of duty and rasp-urn bilitv that will lead them to take :t up.” Reference was made to the .good management and businoTs-like methods of the convention and to the work of the officers, who all seemed s-o well chosen and fitted for their special work. The sum of £2302 had passed through the hands of the treasurer during the year, and there was a credit balance cf £615. Airs M’alker detailed the work done amongst .friendless girls in

Invercargill, which town the inhabitants had great faith in, and said it was to be the fifth town of the Dominion, and even people who did not .believe in no-licens'e did not seem to think that- that was going to keep it back. The .Mayor and ether citizens who spoke at the Union’s public meeting said that no-license had only had a good, effect upon the town. She did not think that anyone claimed it had altogether stopped drinking; as long as the depots were so close it could not. The* brewery was close to the hospital and quite near the town, and the matron told her that she had personally seen more drinking since no-license began than she had ever .before as the paddock where they went to get it was just under the windows of the nurses' home, and she said young men seemed to take a delight in showing; otf how much drink they were able to get; and at first she thought it was not going to be a success at all, but she said that as time went on there had been a very marked difference in the number of patients coming into the hospital in cases due to the effects of drink, and also that there had been an extraordinary reduction in the number of accident cases, which certainly spoke for itself. Mrs Walker described a visit paid to the new reformatory prison at Invercargill, and, concluding a most interesting report, said she had come back from the convention with more enthusiasm and a stronger conviction that the Union is working on right lines. His Worship the Mayor (Mr W. p. Lysnar), spoke of his sympathy with the lines of work adopted by the Union, and of all educational temperance wcik and made feeling reference, to the less sustained in Gisborne by the death of Mr W. Sievwright, at whose residence this time last year Frances Willard's anniversary was held. Afternoon tea and a good musical, programme were provided and a hearty vote of thanks, proposed by the Itcv. W. Grant, was accorded to Mrs Andrew Graham for her hospitality.