WET CANTEENS AND EARLY CLOS' ING OF HOTEL BARS.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2739, 6 April 1916, Page 6

WET CANTEENS AND EARLY CLOS' ING OF HOTEL BARS.

_ Sir,—The; aims of the' War Necessities Committee—though thoy have, been clearly set before the public—still seem to be misunderstood by some people. The members cf tlie committee are not partisans of the 'Liquor party; nor are they Prohibitionists, but have taken up this movement solely owing to conditions brought about by. the.waiv The movement is not, as was recently al-' leged, "a subtle effort to introduce liquor into the camps"; but- it. is an earnest attempt to restrict the unncessary amount of drinking which undoubtedly does take place each niglit in town.

If tho.'wet canteen were established in Expeditionary Force camps, it would not—as was stated in public by another speaker lately—"oifer great chances of obtaining liquor in the camp The enly "liquor" obtainable in the wet canteen would be a good, light beer, supplied at certain hours under strict military control, ,and to suggest that there would be' any drunkenness in the camps under those conditions is a slur upon the officers' in charge. At tho present time, with only the dry canteen, there is drunkenness in the camps every night after the late train arrives, because the hotels in the City are not under strict control. ,

Another cry (this time against the second plank of the committee's platform) is that the earlier closing of hotel bars would penalise the soldier .who would get to town_ after the bars are closed, while the civilian could get all he wants during the day. But. with /the establishment qf the wet canteens, the soldier can get his moderate allowance :of beer; and with the early closing of hotel bars both soldier and civilian will be treated t'like. ■;

We should not forget that the soldiers were civilians before donning khaki, and the, great majority of them were accustomed to tho moderate use of beer before their camp life began. There does not seem to be any good reason for depriving them of it as soon as they decide to go and aght for their country. The Imperial authorities provide their camps with the wet canteen; and as soon as our. colonial troops, reach. the front they are nccofclcd - similar treatment. The establishing of the wet canteen, together with the closing of hotel tars at 7 o'clock, should greatly improve : the state of a (fairs in the City and in the camps.—l am, etc.,

ONE OF THE COMMITTEE.