The Dominion. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1909. THE STATE AND THE DRUNKARD.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 441, 25 February 1909, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1909. THE STATE AND THE DRUNKARD.

One of the problems which will haveto be dealt with-by Dn. Findlay in his now capacity as Minister 'foi; : Justice is the problem of ..the . habitual, drunkard. The existing laws relating to habitual, inebriates have never been satisfactory; they have no kind of clear idea behind 'thorn, and thoy make no intelligent provision either for distinguishing .curable from incurable •> eases or for treating either class-in a scientific way.-' In fact, Dr. Findlay has almost virgin soil be- ; fore him in this region of his new concerns, Ho will no doubt give his attention to, and derive much profit from, a

report df- the :. highest importance wliich has just been issued in England by the Departmental Cominitteo which, under the chairmanship/of. Sir John DicksonPoynder; Mil?., was. appointed in April last' by the/Home Secretary, to- inquire into the operation of the Habitual Drunkards Act of 1879 and of the Inebriates Act of 1898. .Tho Committee's discussion, of tho nature and causes 'of drunkenness, and, of the attitude which the State should take up towards confirmed inebriates, is of far greater value .and importance than its report upon" the working, of the .Acts. It is worth noting, however, that since 1898 only 2600 persons have been committed to reformatories under the Inebriates Act, although no fewer than 1,751,830 persons have during the same time received sentences on charges of drunken behaviour. - The Act, , that is to say, has been virtually inoperative, but it has been' very costly, since ; some of the local-authorities have been so: extravagant in erecting reformatoriesbuildings remarkable for "magnificence of design, arched ceilings,', oak-panelled board . 'rooins, expensive wood 'carvings,, elaborately tiled passages, and stained-glass.-window's"—that the Committee, in, recommending State : accommodation' for 1 inebriates; estimates .that such; a course; would save the public over £10,000 a year upon every 1000 cases-under detention. . • The drug treatment: of inebriates was: investigated, .'and 'the < Committee cannot find any evidence that drugs are efficacious. Upon tho important question whether habitual intemperance is a vice or a disease the .Committee has much to say. The taste for intoxication is an. acquired taste, but the love of intoxicants is wide-spread,-so that -inebriety may be' considered "an alteration of tho. ratio of self-control to : desirq .for drink." The Committee thiijk that it is undoubtedly a constitutional peculiarity, and de-' ponds', m rmany: casos, upon qualities: with which a person- is born,- while in; many, it is the result of vicious indulg-: ence. The conclusion is that it is "erroneous and disastrous: to. inculcate the doctrine; that inebriety, once established, is to be accepted with fatalistic resignation, arid that the inebriate is not to bo encouraged to make any. effort to mci)d ;his ways'-It is 'themore : so since -'inebriety- : is undoubtedly in many ' cases recovered: from, in many diminished, and since,'the cases which recover or amend are tlioso in which the inebriate himself desires and, strives. for recovery'.",':' The" Committee's 'recoihmbndatidns, which are of ,'an exceed-.: ingly comprehensive character, are also very • drastic. It is proposed to begin with that the .. term. "inebriate" should be -substituted- for that of "habitual drunkard," and ■be defined-'as a person "who habitually takes or uses any intoxicating thing" and while under its influence is l "dangorous •to himself or others; or a causc .of - harm or serious, annoyance: to his family or others; or incapablo df, -managing ;himself. or his, affairs,- or of: ordinary proper conduct." Tho .Commitv .tee fully appreciates "that tho'.applica-

tion of compulsory powors to persons who have committed no -public offence is a strong step to' take," but it is convinced' that great and widespread distress: is caused by such persons, and that power ■ti.. deal-;with' them compulsorily is : urgently needed: -. It is .proposed <;,.thati iriri-. ebriates -should' be allowed ;to, enter - into' a .legal obligation to. •'abstain / from ' in-; toxicants for not less than a year, or to apply, voluntarily to. U* justice ' of. the peace for the 1 appointment of a ; named person' as' guardian, ; who 1 should-prescribe a place of residence for. the inebriate, deprive him of intoxicants and require him to submit to control. Recommendations are also -made under ..which power : wouldbe given to a . relative or friend to apply, 'for a compulsory order of guardianship or committal to a rotreat for any period not exceeding one year. ": -

■As to "criminal, inebriates"—persons' convicted summarily, of offcnccs of,which drunkenness . is'/ aningredient', ;or; of ' crueltyto l children,; attempted suicide,, wounding, not'- amounting to felony,. i or wilful damage—it is proposed that ; magistrates should have power to grant discharge on probation, or to commit to the superior Court,': which would have ■power; to sentence an offender. to a , reformatory, ; with' or without; a / preliminary . penal sentonce. ' The Stato would make. the necessary, ■ provision for rpformatory/'.accominodationj! the, Committee ,estimatesj; that the annual. cost . of maintenance 'would; be £38 per, •' head, I :Sweeping as are tlio changcs involved in all these I recommendations, ; it will be!.noted; that.

the Committee leaves where :it is the question; .whether ; confirmed ( intemper-. ancc-should be regarded as a vice or a disease'. The truth, we 1 would/ suggest,.' is

ihat 'it.is sometimes one, and sometimes

the/other. ' We; should /all liko to see 1 the problem; refined! away to,'one simple issue" —to seo the truth brought down to one simple governing law. But that is unfortunately impossible: . the variety of humanity makes a universal formula impossible. All that we can hope for is a method of using the : forces of law that will produce tho maximum of efficiency and economy. The London. Times, reflecting upon the wisdom of bringing penal treatmont.to bear, upon the drunkard at the earliest possible stage in his I downward career, makes a revolutionary ! suggestion worth noting. The change for the better.in the public view of intemperance is noted, and the Times thinks that-"it -is- how. quite likely' that, if casual intoxication in public were , treated as an offence against decency and order, and brought with some ' certainty under the ken of tho police, ' many of those who under present conditions lapse into habitual drunkenness might be held back before it was too late.\v . . The time seems to have come for abandoning the'

system which Has' hitherto prevailed in this country; of.' practically , condoning public drunkenness when it .is unattended

or manifest disorder." No doubt this would be a most effective measure to take, but,. in the - logical , conclusion .; to which.it must be carried, : it would bristle with more dangers than any. reform, how-

over valuable, can afford to carry with it. ■