STATE CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 310, 25 September 1918, Page 6

STATE CONTROL

Sir, —The experience of Russia in regard to State control stands as a beacon warning the nations nover to try the like. It was, if I remember rightly, Count de AVitte, Russian Minister of finance, who introduced State control in Itussia, and made tho Tsar the biggest publican in the v world. Financially it was a big success from the start, but the drink evil increased at such a rate that every thinking man became alarmed, and began to look round for a remedy. It is said that the average Russian usually lost two days a.week getting drunk and suffering a recovery. This may be an exaggeration, but it is confidently asserted that the average production went down by about 30 per cent. The inevitable reaction followed, and a strong temperanco agitation set in, but those in power turned a deaf ear to such propaganda. When the Tsar, issued his now famous ukase against 1 vodka, the first result was a tremendous slump in the public revenue. Tho second eifect was a great increase in savings banks deposits, and the womeii and children, who formerly had to go short of food and warm clothes, now got all they wanted. 'The men put tlieir money on their backs instead of pouring it down their throats. What wag left over was put in th« savings bank. The result of so niuoli general sobriety and comfort was an increase in production, and a corresponding increase in revenue,. Some two years ago. when tho thon Rusjian Minister or Finance was passing through Christinnia on his way homo from London, he told <an interviewer that tho revearue was.recovering at such a rato from other sources that he expected very shortly to make up tho difference. There ie no historical basis for tho assertion that prohibition of vodka caused the revolution, but practically all authorities agree that but for the prohibition the bloodshed during the revolutionary period would have been far and away greater. Prohibition id not save Russia, because it came too late. The drink demon had almost completed bis fell work when the revolution came. But if State-controlled drink rained Russia (as undoubtedly it did), wouldn't we be fools, and wores than fools, to give it a chance to do the same for us by adopting it? -I am, etc., H. C. THOMSEN. Oarringtou, Carterton.

Sir, —No one will contend that, under national control, drunkenness and its sad concomitants will altogether disappear—national control . instead' of Prohibition is a half-hearted, timid measure. The New Zealand Alliance, acting on the recommendation of the Efficiency . Board to the Government,, ask that the question of Prohibitionyes or no—be put to the immediate vote of the people. The trade clearly sees that Prohibition would most probably be carried, and cleverly suggests a third issue—national ownership- 1 -to split the voting: and with its usual astuteness 'adds the proviso that no one of the issues to be deemed carried unless it has a clear majority of the votes cast. Undor this arrangement it is nearly a certainty that none of them will secure the required majority, and tho Trade will be -left in peace until the next local option poll. Let us tako a typical ca-se undor the Trade's pro--postils. For simplicity's sake, assume only a thousand votes cast, distributed as follow: Prohibition, iBO votes; national control, 370 votes; and continuance, 150 votes. Theoretically none of the issues would be carried, but in reality, continuance wjth its ISO votes would win agoinst thp other 850 votes. Is this democracyP—l am, etc., KENT. [This correspondence is closed-for the present/]