"PUSSYFOOT” AND N.Z.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 April 1923, Page 3

"PUSSYFOOT” AND N.Z.

DISPUTE IN AMERICA SAN FT!ANCISCO. March 1. Fresh from his recent extended trip in New Zealand, and after a brief campaign in California. Mr "Pussyfoot" Johnson hurried to the Eastern seaboard of the United Stales, and he has quickly become the central figure of an interesting argument, in which the relent election in New Zealand plays a prominent position. Tile di.-cilssi; n has taken a lively tilt through the instrumentality of Mr TV. 11. Slayton, head of the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment, aiill who, in a statement, in Washington openly charged that "prohibition leader- throughout the world ate playing the game both way- in tlie matter of ‘dry -iieeo--e.s.‘ " Mr Slayton was di--eu-sing a report on the New Zealand elections fioni the virile poll of “Bu--y----loot” John.-oj). “f’rohiliiti .mists abroad." said Mr Slayton, "pour into the United Slates glowing account* of alleged changes of sentiment in Europe mid elsewhere, while American ‘dies' reciprocate with ream- of literature deseril ing the wonderful success of prohibition enforcement in America.

Tlie pamphlet i-sued by Mr Johnson on hi- return from a six-months’ -peaking trip in New Zealand and Australia wa* (Tiaraetori-ed a- “mi-leading propaganda" by Captain Slayton. Aceoi.ling to anti-prohibition lenders Johnson adopted hi- own method of interpreting statistics, oil conditions in the Antipodes, “picking out certain items and ignoring others.’' Slayton asserted that Johnson's claim that the drys lost the New Zealand election of December 7th. by only 13.000 votes, an l were tricked out of victory licau.-e the votes cast for Government, control ol the liquor traffic v.eie ulloWid to count again-1 the voles cast for prohibition is not vai ranted by

actual condiliims in New Zealand. Mr Slayton quoted al length from an analysis of the elect ion made by Mi-s Nillie Scanlon, a New Zealand newspaper writer, who summarised the results ol the December poll a- follows : —“ I'i nhibition did not gain in New Zealand, hut actually h,-l ground: it lies I. -t 10.000 votes during the past three years. New Zealand ha- h.-i the American experiment and expressed het (.pinion in ie jeeti'li.