The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-03-04 00:00:00

Corraponbence.

WIMBORNE TEMPERANCE MEETINGS.

To tAt Editor.

Sir,—l tifiticNl in your Isms of Jul week a rather
piteooe lament f roM a COITIOpoII loot who signs himself
" D. ht.,' he walling the fact th.t there hare not been
some really influential temperance meetiop in Vim•
borne this wint.r.

Well, sir, I io not know that we have had any
particularly "influential " meetings this seas at, but I
do know that we have had some very 'nonmetal one.,
and I bold that that is the great thing after all.
Your oorreapondent refers to the meetings held
when Dr. Creep' we at the heal of the temperance
movement, and glibly rune over the list of notables
who spoke on those occasion', but he forget, to add
two things. First—that their meeting, were pc, plorly
attended that the Dr. hitone f satl in public that he
did not believe 'eras p *sib's to get an audience
together in Wimborne. Second—the the collection,
were so exceedingly poor that the Dr. had often
generously to make up the deficiency.
Now, sir, it in perfectly true that we have had none
of thud., crest guns d iwn here this time, but most of
the meetings we have bad have been crowded to the
very do r.; the collections have been so good that
with a little usistance we have been enabled to pay
our way, and we have had very gratifying result' in
pledgee taken and coneiderable ad litions to some of
our societies. We have been I 'coned with a speaker
of considerable power, Mr. Inundown, of Bristol, of
whom Dr. Creepi said we should not bans bids finer
address had we paid £2O for a speaker.
I take it, sir, that the committee tar, not mantle to
signalise thin year by meetiuge tint are merely
" influential ;" they have been rather &Arons to have
meetings that 'should be effective, and I think they
ha,. not failed.

_
There are just one or two other things in your
C ,rtespondent's letter to which I should like to refer.
He stated that the committee of the Band of Hops
Union dl.l not spend one penny on advertising their
annual meeting. It it true that no money was spent
in printing, but there are more way. of advertising
than one, end the misting we. for two or three days
advertieed by the crier, an I that WM done because
It answered so well once before.
Again, with reference to your correspondsot's civic.
to the committee, I would remind him thet the
o onmittee is oomposed of men of limited time, who
have much other business to see ii, end some of his
advice about punctual an! reviler attendance can
not always be so easily acted two) as given. There
Is in this town a great lack of mvn of leisure who will
take up this work for the love of the cause. If "
instead of criticising sad carping 111 Nuns win, dial.

under conelderable disadvantage and inconvenience to
themselre., do their boet, would coin., forwerd himself
and us, hi. Junctional to pomade others, he wool I d o
fume god. lii. days,n.y tonourh for a want,
look on and give *deice, loot tie anothor thing I, net
to work himself, awl follow his own bark*.
But I am inc'ined t think that " is •
member of the committiie, else how does he know that
• committee meeting wall make evon a wild Dutch-
man stamp with imp otont fury. If we enrinde be
c oreed, would it not he bettoir for "P.M." to say what
he haa to say there.
In conclusion, sir, let me amours your realere that
the temperance cause is still alive, and, •ftsr all,
doing perhaps quite a. moult as in pain years The
Bends of Hclps are still in full activity, the Church
of Ellorlowd Tennvlrllnce &ohne is cooling tlly
intlrrrating sod important meetings, on I I hew* be'rll
rumour, oof another •• " in March, at wbich.
helievo, there will 1.. "speakers from a dist aloe."
Y.ours faithfully,
Q.
Wimbarae, Feb. 2nlb,