LIQUOR FICTIONS AGAIN

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 95, 16 January 1919, Page 6

LIQUOR FICTIONS AGAIN

"SILAS STARK" ANSWERED. MORE PROHIBITION FACTS. / "Silas Stark" denies that partial Prohibition operates in London 'in the morning hours because a beer' is available for the dock labourers between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. Now, "Mr. Stark." in Riving his time to misleading the public on the liquor issue, is not worthy of being classed with so useful a man ns" a dock labourer, and therefore as far as he is concerned Prohibition is in effect in the mornings in London. But to consider his to the stock of liquor fictions: —

Fiction No. 10.—"Mr. Bayley, not knoivins: tfie conditions in .London, indulges in'loose, irresponsible, unreliable assertions." '

Fact—Mr. Bayley recently lived for a year in London, in a. semi-slum area, ii;. a house across the road from a "pub.'' He knows exactly the hours of the "pubs!" being open, by the noises that floated through bis window.

Fiction No. It—"Thei reduction in drunkenness in Great Britain under the Control' Board is unequalled in any ■State■'under Prohibition or partial Prohibition."

Fact.—lt , must be remembered that in the Canadian provinces, where Prohibition has been enacted within the last three' years, that early closing and other restrictive measures, such as the Control Board of England have . put into ! operation, had already greatly reduced drunkenness before Prohibition became operative. Then Prohibition came along and made another marvellous reduction. In the city of Winnipeg Prohibition reduced drunkenness immediately by 80 per cent.- When the private stores ran out, drunkenness practically disappearedThe same result took place in nil the Canadian cities except n few on the border of wet territory. Mr. J. E- Boyle, i tho Minister of Education for Alberta, says:—"lt is an exceedingly rare thing to see any person on ■ the, streets the worse of litiuor." Thousands of other prominent Canadians give the same testimony, and the police court records confirm" their statements. Fiction No. 12.—"Those who drank bepr were helping to win the -war." Fact.—Arthur Men's statement that drink was responsible for loss in time in the, munition factories equivalent to 100 days' output, has never been controverted- The heads of the Shipping Department and of Hie Munitions Deportment continually pleaded with • the Government for the elimination of drink, and . several thousands of England's, first citizens—including many admirals and gen/'erals—memorialised the Government asking for total Prohibition. Tim story of tho part drink has played in the war is the most damning indictment- that the lioiini , trade has ever suffered. Fiction No. 13.—"Prohibition would have turned Great Britain into another Eussia." ' Fact.—Prohibition did not turn Canada and the United States into another Russia.' Prohibition .greatly-assisted the United States in sending a Prohibition nrniy in Prohibition shins to turn the tide of battle for the Allies. Fiction No. 14.—"Under partial Prohibition,' the American States have increased their consumption of alcoholic Honors- , * ' Fact.—An examination of the official figures shows thnt tho rate nf increase I'ttos steadily declining., as Prohibition spread till 191 G. But those who are fpiotiiiK fieures on behalf of tlie liquor i trade.'in New Zealand are very careful to stop at the year 1916. The year 1!)1? was the one in which several more State* came into the Prohibition column, mid tho figures for that year show n big decrease in liquor consumption: Here aro the. figures, taken from the "Western Brewer Magazine":—Beer consumed, May, 1916, to April. 1917, fi1.83t.305 barrels; beer consumed. May, 1917, to April. iniS. 52.6ft4.771« barrels: n decrease of 9,lfif>.M4 barrels, or 15 per cent, decrease. Fiction No. 15.—"1n total Prohibition States, drunkenness is more rampant than in Merry England." Fact.—Kansas has been the snecial farget .of the "wets" in such fictions as these- Tlve Legislature of Kansas, noting the false statements issued by the honor trade, unanimously passed n resolution giving tho direct lie to the allegations that (lninknnnpsii was rampant in Kanws. The following sentences appear in that resolution :-<aT '"111 of such charges are libellous and false, and (lo but renreFont Hie sentiments of men who, when tin's Stale exiled the saloon., were compelled to leave Kansas for her good. (b) "The reverse of these statements is true; the State of "Kansas is cleaner, better, more advanced in mental culture, and stronger in moral fibre, and conviction; her homes ~re hapriier and more comfortable, her children better educated thaii ever before in her history; crime is less prevalent and pnvertv less general; n.nd all this is due lareely to the fi'ct thai the saloon is sueh an outlaw that none of her school children have ever seen a saloon, and -are unacquainted with the appearance of a ea'nnn-keeppr." ■ What is true of T\nn«ns nnnlip* to l.hn orl>»r drv SUites. Wnshiiieton and TTtah both reaffirmed their nd'xrcncp to Prohibition nt the recent November elections.—(Published by arrangement.)