NO-LICENSE TACTICS IN GISBOHN3

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3388, 1 December 1911, Page 5

NO-LICENSE TACTICS IN GISBOHN3

WAIHI J.P. APOLOCISES.

FURTHER EXPOSERES

One of the characteristic features of -the prohibition campaign has been the wild and reckless manner in which the 'No-license party have waded into the fray. The more they found public opinion turning against them the more they abandoned every notion of accuracy* and fair-play in their attempt to dam the flowing tide. The slump in Waihi as a No-license argument was almost as marked as that in Waihi shares, and to endeavor to boom Waihi a prominent piohibitionist was imported from Waihi at a considerable expense, and his advent hailed in big type. The Waiheathen orator started in great style and denounced the advertisements in* these columns about Waihi as absolutely false and untrue. According to Poster, the Rev. Smajles, Vicar of Waihi. denied the Trade's reprint of his (Mr. Smailes’) remarks about No'license in Waihi, and for 24 hours the market in Waihi No-license stocks was booming again, but a wire from the Rev. Snmiles knocked the bottom out of the market by giving a .straight-out denial of Foster’s statements, and the Ohinenniri orator hurried away to the backbloeks without any apology or explanation. and came in to catch the next boat hack to AAaihi, without even n farewell paragraph of thanks in the funny little paper. At a previous meeting a prominent member of the No-License party had road a vorv strong letter from a prohibition .J.P! in Waihi, which denounced the Mayor of the ‘"dry” town and the Press Association agent there, and made very serious charges against them News of the letter got hack to Waihi, and as a result the J.P. who wrote the letter to Gisborne sent the following letter to the Press Association agent there : —- Waihi, 6th Nov., 1911. ;Mr, Jas. Wrigley, Waihi. Dear Sir, — In answer to your request re matter written in a private letter to Mr. A. Vowles, of Gisborne, and read at a public meeting there. I beg to withdraw the statement that you were a brewer’s tout, and apologise for using the expression. 3 also must express my surprise that a private letter should have been used in the way you describe. (Sio-ned) D. DONALDSON. Mr. Wrigley is not satisfied with the meagre apology, and is now demanding ;i full and ample apology for the statements made, otherwise an action foi .LIf)00 damages may be taken. A similar demand has been mailed to the No-license advocate who read the letter at the Gisborne public meeting, and a full apology is due from the local prohibition party for encouraging such mud-slinging and personalities. It should he a lesson to them to conduct •their campaign with a better spirit. No doubt a lot oi similar stuff will ho handed out between now and the poll-ing-day, probably at the last minute, when there is no time to expose it, as in this case. So far the Trade has vigorously avoided personalities except where absolutely imperative to expose some glaring error, and' in no instance have their facts been refuted, nor any apology demanded for slanderous _ statements. The right-thinking section of the public like to see. a good fight, but detest fouling or hitting below the belt, and these sort of tactics carry with them their own penalty at the ballotbox on Thursday next,, when every voter has the chance of indicating his opinion. There will he two ballotpapers. Vote Thus— I Vote for Continuance. I Vote Against Dominion Prohibitions