PROHIBITION LAW.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 111, 10 April 1926, Page 9

PROHIBITION LAW.

AMERICAN CONTROVERSY. AYASHINGTON, April 8 Mr Anton Cerniak, president of the Chicago Board of Commissioners, testified before the Senate prohibition inquiry. He declared that alcoholic patients had enormously increased in the hospital wards since prohibition became effective, and likewise insane alcoholic cases. He stated that there was now building a new and larger gaol, while the appropriations for poverty and pauperism had been greatly augumented. He said there had been a steady increase in the Chicago police department, but still the increase in crime continued.

Mr George Brennan,. Democratic political leader, testified that the law had increased drunkenness, immorality, , disrespect, corruption, murder, insanity, blindness, and crimes in general. He said the sensible and honest thing to do was to modify or repeal this unenforceable statute, and restore to the States their rights in this field of purely domestic legislation. The “drys” throughout the United States are preparing to repel the “wet” drive for a modification of the prohibition law. Hundreds or protests from virtually every State, signed by women’s welfare organisations, Church workers and business houses, have been presented to the Senate Prohibition Committee, pleading that the law be permitted to stand. Forty women’s Christian temperance unions sent an identical message. They said: “We protest against any modification of the Volstead code.” Many petitions have been telegraphed. Numerous Methodist Churches have sent mimeographed copies of a protest in which the only variation is tho name of ’ 3 Church and the number of the congregation. Canadian Cabinet officers have lodged informal, bitter complaints against the , smuggling, of American liquor into Canada, to be later resmuggled to the • United States as Canadian. —A. and N.Z cable. 1

MR PUSSYFOOT JOHNSON

STORY OF CAMPAIGN,

NEW YORK, April 8. The United Press, by permission, publishes extracts from Air Pussyfoot Johnson’s story, appearing in tho International Cosmopolitan Magazine. Air Johnson, describing his part in the campaign leading to prohibition, said: “I told enough lies for the tiause to make Ananias ashamed of himself.” He declared that he once bribed Russian officials to give him information to aid his work. He said: “I drank gallons in the campaign against liquor.” He denied stories that he ever took human lives during the campaign. He gave the source of such stories. He said: “I like the taste of liquor, but I have never drunk it except for the reasons indicated. I have not had a drink for a dozen years, but I would take a drink right now if I thought it would advance the prohibition cause.” Air Johnson declared that a man’s personal habits, regarding drink had not prevented his aiding tho cause. There were many drinking men amongst supporters of prohibition.—A. and N.Z. cable.