Welsh Journals

BSTAIjSER The Monthly Magazine of the Cardiff & District Temperance and Band of Hope Union. Communications for the Editor should be addressed to the Offices o) the Union, 35, Windsor Place, Cardiff Vol. XIV. 4. APRIL, 1903. ONE PENNY. €De munificence of our President £1,000 OFFERED FOR TEMPERANCE WORK. HE name of Mr. Gory lias long been associated with all philanthropic institutions, and thousands of workers the world over, overburdened with the financial and other cares of their offices, have many times been laid under a deep debt of obligation by Mr. Cory's generosity. No one, not even Mr. Cory, we venture to think, knows the extent of his kindness ; suffice it to sav that scarcely anyone with a good case appeals to him in vain. As far as our Union is concerned, Mr. John Corv has been our chief benefactor for many years,, ready to open his heart and his purse whenever the Temperance cause can be advanced, and many of our most successful movements, especially those which through lack of funds we could not otherwise attempt—notably our open-air Temperance Van Crusade last year—would have had to fall through but for his timely assistance. That makes Mr. Cory's present offer all the more generous and acceptable. For some time the financial strain caused by our work extending beyond anything we had previou-ly attempted or even anticipated, has been exceedingly heavy. The membership has increased by leaps and bounds, and the Committee, unwilling not to enter doors that were open for successful aggressive work, have had to bear heavy additional financial responsibilities which seem to take a great deal from the joy which the work gave, and they felt that the time had come when the debts upon their Temperance property should be considerably lessened in order to alio .v additional funds to be set aside for aggressive work, and so use the money which, is always raised at a considerable expenditure of time and energy more profitably than in paying interest to the bank. There seemed to be only one way of getting this done, and that was by making a big effort to clear off the debts for which they are responsible. Of course by some one making a challenge worth taking up our task would be considerably lightened. There was only one man in Cardiff we though; that would do this, and that one was Mr. John Cory, and when the matter was laid before him his large-hearted interest in our work prompted such a generous challenge that all Temperance friends in our Union will be only too eager to take up. " If," says Mr, Cory, "you will raise the £2,000 necessary to clear off the debts on th© Cory Hall site and the Union offices, I will give £1,000 to be invested for aggressive work and for the benefit of the Union's funds." It is not surprising that when Mr. Cory's letter was read at the Special Council Meeting held at the Cory Hall on March 14th, that a deal of enthusiasm was aroused, and all present pledged themselves to do their part to place the Union in a position to claim the promise as speedily as possible. The ever increasing responsibilities of our Union and the need for additional funds, not only to keep our work in an efficient state but also to extend it, was pressed home by the Chairman (Mr. Fred VV. Brett), Mis. John Evans, Itev. Dr. Edwards, Messrs. David Shepherd, C. F. Sanders, J. Cruise, G Shepherd, J. P. Panniers, C. W. Marshall, and others, and a very hearty desire was expressed that the Committee should get to work at once to formulate and press forward the scheme. After the several speakers had commented on the large- hearted manner in which Mr. Cory promises to help us, the following resolution, 011 the proposition of the Chairman, seconded by Mr. Sanders, was enthusiastically carried :-" That the General Council of the Cardiff and District Temperance and Band of Hope Union beg to express to the President, Mr. John Cory, J.P., its sincere gratitude for his generous offer towards clearing off the debt on the Cory Hall site, the debt on the Union's Offices, and for providing a fund for aggressive and educational Tem¬ perance work, especially among the young. This Council hereby accepts Mr. Cory's conditions to raise a sum of at least £3,000 (including the £1,000 referred to), and pledges itself to any steps which the Executive may decide upon to give effect to the undertaking. This Council further hopes that all Temperance sympathisers in Cardiff and district will give their enthusiastic support to the exceptional opportunity now offered for placing the movement locally upon a satisfactory basis."