Evening star., 1896-12-12
The Secretary of the W. G. T. q.
Of the World Here.
DRUNKENNESS on rHE INCREASE
Particularly Among Women, Both
in England and America.
som E BSERV VATIONS

Miss Agnes E. Slack Of England. secre-
tary Of the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union of the world, arrived here this MORN
ing from Norfolk, after having spent near
ly four months in making a tour Of the
United States and lecturing on the SUBJ
ject of temperance.
Miss Slack has long been Identified not
only with temperance. but with political
work in her own country. Not only is she
secretary of the worlds organization,
which includes forty nations within its
ranks. but she is secretary OF the Womans
Christian Temperance Union of Great
Britain, and is one of the head officers OF
the Woman's Liberal Federation of Great
Britain, the latter being an important aux
iliary to the liberal party Of her country.
1t is the liberal party in England about
which the hopes of the temperance people
are gathered and in the last election the
defeat of that party was partially brought
about by the fact that Ii stood for local
option in Great Britain.
How the Conservatives Won.
1.-The conservative party secured its great
majority in parliament" said Miss Slack
to a Star reporter today, largely by mis-
represents ton. They told the workingmon
of Great Britain that il the liberal party
won the public houses would be closed:
option meant that no public house should
be closed unless the working men them
selves voted to close it. But the erroneous
impression had gone forth, the working
men voted against the liberal party and
the conservatives were thrown into once
Miss Slack has beer greatly pleased III
the United States at the opportunity oner-
ed for progressive temperance work ny
the fact that local option is possible, ana
that one state may prohibit the manufac-
ture and sale of liquors before all the states
are ready to do so.
I'VE would have local option In Great
Britain If 1t were not for England, sald
Miss Slack. I'm Wales, Scotland and Ire
land there is strong temperance senu-
me mt, and 1t is from those parts OF the
&C untry that our temperance members OF
parliament are returned. But in England
1t is different, and we cannot even secure
the right of local option SO long as the
English members hold ont against us. But
tie women of Great Britain are working
most energetically for temperance and IN
the end we m0st win"
Observations in This Country.
When asked whether she had seen many
drunken people in this country since her
arrival here on August 1. Miss Slack re-
piled that she had not seen over dozen
n.en under the influence of liquor and just
one woman, who appeared to Miss Slack 20
be highly cultured, being elegantly dressed
and a wearer of great numbers of costly
diamonds when Miss Slack saw her a
railroad train. This is the result of OBJ
servation over a period of nearly four
months, during which time Miss Slack has
been the guest of the Woman'S Christian
Temperance Union of America and has
spoken in public meetings in fifteen states
well in Canada, attended eight state
conventions and has had every opportunity
to observe psople of all classes in this
country.
When asked whether she had seen more
drunken people here than in England, Miss
Slack promptly replied that she had seen
much less drinking here. far less, thoueh h
she did not like to say anything that placed
her own country in an unfavorable light.
Il have been particularly struck" said
she. ''at the absence of wine at hotels.
have failed to see any wine drinking at
meals, though at houses of similar char
acter in England the exception would be
the first person drinking water with his
meals. / know lady who uses nc wine
and who has been accustomed to stopping
at one of the principal hotels in London
where she always had been a most liberal
patron, and has occupied high priced apart
ments, who was actually so badly treated
because of her abstinence from wine that
she finally left the hotel and determined
not to go back to 1t. There is nothing un-
common about that. In England in many
of the hotels you are not well treated and
are rather looked down upon if you drink
water with your meals
Drunkenness I'm Women on the In
crease.
DO you think that drunkenness i'm wo-