THE LICENSING POLL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18759, 12 January 1923, Page 4

THE LICENSING POLL.

It was no doubt necessary that Mr “Pussyfoot” Johnson should, on his return to tho United States, explain away, as best he could, tho failure of his advocacy of Prohibition in New Zealand. And it is hardly perhaps to he expected that ho would acknowledge, what was certainly the fact, .that, despite the great prestige which he brought to this country, he himself was one of the most unimpressive and unconvincing speakers ever introduced by the prohibition party to the public platform in tho dominion. For lack of any better explanation of the rejection of Prohibition by tho electors of New Zealand Mr Johnson has fallen back upon the plea that “the cards were stacked” against him. It is a plea which not only expresses the bitterness of defeat, but also sullies Mr Johnson's reputation as a fair fighter. It convoys the implication that fraud and deceit were employed by the opponents of Prohibition. One, however, who was a fair ■fighter, according to British .standards, would not have put the whole width of the Pacific Ocean between him and New Zealand before he committed himself to the allegation that trickery and cheating wore among the weapons that were used by tho opponents of Mr Johnson in the Prohibition campaign in the dominion. Nor is it very complimentary to tho electors to suggest that they were deceived and hoodwinked by one of the parties to the licensing issue. Tho final result of the poll, which has now been ascertained, shows that, ns compared with 1910, the vote for National Continuance increased by -11,418, that for State Purchase and Control by 8466, and that for National Prohibition by 30,541. AVliile the vote for Continuance increased by a little more than 17 per cent., that for Prohibition increased by a little more than 11 per cent. The vote cast for State Purchase and Control has been again relatively so small—less than (5 per cent, of tho total—that tho impression is confirmed, which was conveyed by the poll of 1919, that the people of New Zealand are not interested in this particular issue, and that it is not along the linos of State Purchase ami Control that reform in tho liquor traffic is to he effected. None the less, the votes recorded in favour of State Purchase and Control are to bo correctly regarded as votes cast against Prohibition, and, taken in conjunction with those recorded in favour of Continuance, they contribute to that majority of 17,605 voles against Prohibition which expresses the determination of the voters at the poll in December last. Three years ago the majority against Prohibition was only 3262. Tho net result of the most recent poll is clearly a decision of a fairly definite and pronounced character against National Prohibition. It has been so construed even by persons who have taken no small part in the past in the advocacy of Prohibition, and it is a reasonable assumption, therefore, that if there were another referendum on the licensing issue to-morrow

the majority against Prohibition would ho still larger than that recorded iu December.