The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-06-05
THE INDIAN TOUR AS DESCRIB-
ED BY MRS. HALLOWES.


der the usual difficulties of Indian
travel. No one who has not visited
this country can realize how much
there is of hardship in the long dis
tances, the night travelling, the con-
slant stoppages, the arrivals and de-
partures in the middle of the night.
All these things are aggravated by
the climate, which is sometimes very
cold.
Though a perfect stranger in In
dia and ignorant of the language.
Miss Slack has travelled quite alone,
at her own request, without even
a servant "a very unusual thing
here), so that she might economic
our funds. Miss Slack has given
without stint her strength and per-
suasive powers, and in consequence
she has accomplished very much,
even more than we hoped for.
Total abstinence is very unfashion-
able in India, among the ruling
class. Europeans imagine that they
cannot live without whisky. We be-
lieve that Miss Slack, more than any
one else who has visited India, has
had influence with the official classes
and has brought forward facts which
have compelled them to think.
She has visited the five provinces
of India: Bombay, the Punjab, the
United Provinces, Bengal and Mad
ars. She has spoken in European
drawing rooms, at Indian purdah
parties, in churches and public halls,
in colleges and schoolrooms; out-of-
doors and indoors; to Y. w. G. A. and
Y. M. c. A. members: to soldiers
and railway men. She has had talks
with H. E. Lady Mimic, the wife of
the viceroy; with Lady Ibbetson, the
wife of the lieutenant governor of
Madras; with Maharajahs and Ma
haranees, with commissioners, judges
and magistrates, upon this one ques-
ton of the increase of drink in India
Lady Mimic expressed sympathy with
her work, and the viceroy also re-
ceived her cordially.
Miss Slack has attended three con-
yentions of the w. G. T. U. and given
them much good advice. She has in
creased our membership by many
hundreds; the pledges taken have
been over a thousand. The great
majority of her pledges were taken
from Indians, from whom she has
received much sympathy. She has
realized what we knew before, that
the Indians are very much on the
alert against the increasing drinking
habits of their countrymen, and are
only too willing to cooperate with
European temperance workers. In
deed, it is a great grievance with
them that the British government
should draw revenue form alcohol;
and our temperance societies are do
ing something to restore British
prestige which suffers so often at the
hands of drunken Englishmen.
This visit of Miss Slack, the first
Worlds officer to visit India, has
brought to mind our relation to the
Worlds union, and has added not a
little to our affection for our Mother
W. G. T. U. The w. G. T. U. of In
dia is but a feeble child, composed
mainly of scattered missionaries,
working under the difficulties of eli
mate and isolation. In wishing Miss
Slack goodbye" we are conscious
of fresh impetus and hope.
The summary of her work is as
follows: She addressed 6S meetings
and took 1886 pledges, enrolled 426
new members, and 207 honorary
members for the w. G. T. U. of In
dia. In addition to this she enrolled
SIS men for other temperance socie-
ties. She has formed fifteen new un-
ions at the following places: Poona,
Harda, G. P. Woodstock School, Mus
soorie, Lahore, Agra, Allahbad, the
Girls High School, Cawnpore, Coca
NADIA, Secunderbad, Madras, Peram-
pur, vepery, the Baldwin Girls High
School, Bangalore, Ootacamund and
Coonoor. 1t will be noticed that sew
eraF of these unions are in European
girls schools; this is a new form of
work for us, for which we are very
thankful and which we intend to fol-
low up.
Miss Slack is profoundly convinced
by her experiences in India that we
need paid organizers, who shall be
constantly on the move. Distances are
so great, the position of workers SO
isolated, and the climate so trying
that Is is difficult to keep up an in
terest, unless there are constant WIS.,
it's from outside workers. In view