The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-11-09 00:00:00

TEMPERANCE ANNIVERSARY.

The second anniversary of the Congregational
Temperance Society and Band f Hope was celebrated
on Wednesday at tiloucester.street schoolroom, by a
gathering for tea and speaking, with singing, and about
100 children partook, with a fair number of adults,
several members f the society presiding over the
tables, at which a capital tea was provided by Miss
Pamon.
Mr. 11. J. ItoGgits, at the
.public meeting ably
conducted a choir of about vices, who sang spirited
temperance *OWN with choruses, and sacred anthems,
which were rendered in a style that reflect credit on
the conductor's teaching..

The Rev. K itetrox',"Gloucester-street chapel, said I
although this was their second anniversary, it wax the
first time they attempted a public meeting. In the
society were 145 membemand he welcomed those who
do not belong to any temperance society, hoping what
was said would lead to co-operation and the extension
of temperance principles in the town. They had 145
members, many adults, paying Is. a year to assist the
work among the young. Eyery Christianchurch?ught
to have some temperance society connected with it, for
he looked upon this temperance work as part of all true
Christen work.
Anthem : Oh, love the Lord.
lies. F. Vairuna, of Browivrinsort Secretary of the
I)orset County Temperance Association, said the
Christian church is now waked up to the importance
of this movement, the different denominations haying
temperance societies. For 20 yearn the drink bill of
thistsointry n.l arisen from 4.142.000.000t0 £155.000,000,
and the average amount from 1:2 Ss. 6,1. to £4 7g, per
head ; but in the last throe year. its increase had been
and it had begun to decline. Some asked
why teetotalers trouble about it, if they d" not take
the drink ; but six-tentlis insanity, and nine-tenths
of the crime were caused by intoxicating drink ; it so
increases pauperism aim, that 7s. l. ,sit of every 108.
we pay for these rates is levied by the drink. It blocks
our way iii education, for it was found in Liverpool
last year that the cause of non-attendance of children
for which parents were suunisonsl was, in SO percent.
of the cases, the drunkenness •.f the parents. Yet. the
enormous outlay for strong drink only 2s. in the
goes into the Libour market, while Iffs, or IAN, in the
f: is paid for labour in other industries, Mr. Vaughan
told anecdotes in illu-tration, and pointed .sit that
workmen bad Is.rrn: witness they could without in-
toxicating drink, w"rk better. hold out longer, sleel,
better, and wake fresh next day. (.%pplause.)
Choir : Oh : the happy time is emning.
Mr. T. W. GLOWER asked whether it WAS because it
Is becoming faahbouible that the tempersine movement
is gaining. No doubt that had ',seething to do with it.
Now the queen in par n of the Church of England '
Temperance r,ociety, and the Ibike of Westminster
takes an interest in colfou taverns ; hilt odic ry,„n
the flood a light lot in on the subject, for Dr. Richard-
son, Sir William Gall, and others have 00 taught the
people that they are better lb ithout drink than with
it, that we can ask public "pinion upon the matter now.
Tee effects of the drink are felt everywhere; at
Southampton petty geggions an obi woman was charged
with stealing a sd. tumbler from a public-house, an so
demoralisod, debauched, and paralysed by the drink
was she that the recorder said it was hopeless to
attempt reforming her; and sent her for a short term,
instead of the long years he would otherwise have con-
fined her for. At the mains sessions a girl "1 Ii was
sent to a reformatory for stealing wearing appaarel, her
father and mother being such drunkards that they sent