The Demon Rum.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 September 1922, Page 1

The Demon Rum.

• (Lyttelton Times, Christchurch). Not a conspicuous amount of success has attended Mr W. E. Johnson’s (Pussyfoot) local campaign. ITe seems to have failed to please a section of his audience at Lyttelton on Saturday night, and the meetings which lie addressed in Christchurch were remarkable more for numbers than for enthusiasm. Mr Johnson’s matter is the reverse of sparkling, and wo believe it must he the general opinion, even among,the prohibitionists, or perhaps we might say especially among the prohibitionists, that his ability as a platform speaker lias certainly not been under-stated by his advance agents. Air Johnson, in short, so far as he has revealed his talents in Lyttelton and Christchurch, is ”ather a mediocre kind of travelling lecturer, and is different to what one would have expected after all that has been read about him.

It is interesting to learn that this American gentleman is not here to “dictate” to New Zealanders nor to interfere in their affairs. Probably be knows had that been his intention, he might as well have stayed at homo, since the people of this country quite realise their ability to decide their own political issues. But if Air Johnson has any mission at all, it must he to try to persuade the electors of the Dominion to copy the prohibitory law of America. Either that or his visit is meaningless. In the report of Afr Johnson’s address on Saturday night we think the majority of readers will find very little to encourage a belief in prohibition. America, as we all know, has been under prohibition for about three years, and it is a fact that in those years the States have experienced a wave of crime to which it would be impossible to find a parallel in any part of the world. Air Johnson may quote a few selected figures and statements to the contrary, but his isolated voice is a feeble contrast to the testimony of the world’s newspapers, and of judges and public officials of America. We have been reading as much of the available literature on the subject hs possible, oncl tbo conviction is nnalroidln'blc that prohibition in the United States as a moralising influence has proved a failure and a fraud. If Air Johnson can prove otherwise, he will have to use more convincing methods than he has yet exhibited, and be will need tb put a little more spirit into bis discourses.

The people of New Zealand are shrewd enough to ask for proofs before they will believe that current reports as to tbe failure of prohibition are tbe inventions of tbe wicked liquor people. The people of Now Zealand will not surrender their liberty simply because the liberty of Americans has been taken from them by the politicians, even if Air Johnson does say that this is quite all right. AToreover, the electors of this country have to consider a very important matter which is of no consequence to Air Johnson. They must realise that the passing of prohibition , would play havoc with the public finances—that it would mean tbe withdrawal of Government revenue to such an extent as to involve unbearable additions to existing forms of taxation. Land and income taxpayers in New Zealand are £900.000 in 1 arrears in respect of last year’s demands. Adding accrued penalties they owe tbe Treasury at least n million pounds. If the liquor revenue disappears these people will find fresh burdens added to those which have already proved beyond their strength to bear; or in the alternative the cost of living must be sharply increased by excessive duties on imported goods. Hut, as we say, this will not interest Afr Johnson, because be is not a New Zealand citizen. But bo might be good enough to tell Air Alassey bow to readilist tilie public finances in the event of prohibition being carried. For Air Johnson’s mission, however be may describe it, is on behalf of tbe Now Zealand prohibition movement though he may neither "dictate” to tlie electors no interfere in their affairs.— *