The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-08-25
6. I. A. U. SHOWS GROWTH OF 4l3
 FOR THE YEAR
Forty Fourth Annual Convention Is In
 Progress Here
Many CIeTgymen In St. Angus tines To Hear Bishop NlIan
 Speak On Temperance

That the total abstinence movement in Catholic churches of Connecticut is showing a consistent growth was made : plain in the report presented to thsi 44th annual convention of the Cou-l necticut Total Abstinence Union by ! the state secretary, Frank J. Kinney of Branford, this forenoon Q when hsi stated that the union now enbracesi total membership of 1O,436 g. gain of 413 over the total membership of last year.
 The convention was formally opened 1 by Mayor Wilson in Eagles hall about 1O:30 this morning following a solemn high mass by many delegates andt others at St. Augustine's church. There were about 150 delegates present, about equally divided between the sexes-l They represented 102 societies, of which two were newly affiliated. The drop ping out of two of the societies for. merly embraced in the union made the total number of societies in the union the same as last year.
 The election of officers will be held tomorrow There is no talk of a. suc-. cessor to Rev. John J. Fitzgerald of PequOnnock, the state president. James J. Degnan, first vice president, who. has served for two years, fs likely to. be succeeded by James P. Newman, according to the gossip about the hall today. Miss Marie Barrow of 1Gerfden, third vice president is slated to suc-t ceed the retiring second vice presi- dent, Miss Mary Cullen. Frank J. Kinney of Branford is slated to sue ceed himself as state secretary. There is contest over the state treasurer ship This office was occupied by John J. Corbett of New Haven who died during the year. William J. Gro min of New Haven and Fred Russell of New Britain are the candidates
 The selection of a place for the next convention will probably be left to the directors, one from each county, who will announce their decision some time later
 Seated with Father Fitzgerald on the platform at the opening of the con vention, were, besides Mayor Wilson. the state secretary, MT. Kinney: Mss Marie Barrow of Meriden, the third vice president; Miss Marie Delohery of Danbury, state editor; Acting Treas urer William J. Cronan of New Ha-i ven and Miss Annie Healey of Meri- 1, den, stenogra paer of the convention
 The forenoon was devoted to the ap- pointrnent of committees and the read ! ing of reports.
 This evening there vii! be a ba1ri at Eagles hall and tomorrow morn ing the convention will finish busi- . ness with the election of officers. To- morrow afternoon an automobile tour of the city will be made.
 The present method of condning haD- . itua1 drunlxards in a. county jail for 60 or 90 days was criticised as mot suff- cfently effective in meeting the situa- ton and the need of a state farm for inebriates to assist men and women in overcoming the drink habit. was emphasized by Rev. John J. Fitzgerald ! of Poouonnock, the president of the Catholic Total Abstinence Union.
 A solemn high mass at St. Angus tines church preceded the formal open ing of the convention. Immediately . after the close of the services. the del- . egates went into session at Eagles hall where Father Fitzgerald made his ad- dress. Mayor clifford B. Wilson wei comed the visitors to the city and vari- ous reports were presented
 The liquor question, Father Fitzger- { aId told his hearers, was still one to t be solved and strong in in9ur1ng so many thousands of those who other wise would be ornaments to church | and state because of it's 1nsidious ua- | ture and because it is backed by : wealth and political power"
 -SOur union has succeeded at leaet to some etxent,'' he said, "in creating a I greater interest in the liquor Questiont among all classes of people through ! out the state, so much so that repro sentatives of all denominations met before the excise committee in Hart 1 ford during the early spring and ad- vocated three measures calculated to ! restrict the sale of intoxicating lt- Quors One of these was a reductionl of the number of saloons to one fori every one thousand inhabitants Am other was the keeping of saloons closedt until o'clock in the morning for many on their way to work. early in the. morning enter such places and drink~i ing liquor on an empty stomach quick ly become intoxicated and unit toi handle clerical work or complicated machinery and as a consequence lose their positions and the means of main taining their families and homes Last ly, prohibition of the sale of liquor on Good Friday.
 Moreover there was brought before. the legislature and favorably received. by that body, a bill we have long ad- yocated as a help in saving those un- fortunates who have gone completely under the influence of drink and that is the establishment Of a state instttu-- ton and farm where such men and women may be properly treated tills with assistance rendered and wills strengthened, they may become again . the masters of themselves and not the slaves of their appetites. The present. plan of conhning habitua1 drunlcards in a county Jail for sixty or ninety days is not suf1ciently effective for the habitual drunkard is not radically changed and renewed, but passes the time nourishing his moroseness and only longs for that freedom which will supply an opportunity to return to the saloon, often becoming intoxicated the very day which he is liberated from