AN UNWORKABLE LAW

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 482, 11 October 1928, Page 12

AN UNWORKABLE LAW

A UNIVERSAL, FAILURE Apart from the United States of America, and the two small Canadian Provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Finland is the sole remaining country which has a “dry” law, and its ultimate repeal can only be a matter of time. Wherever the attempt has been made to enforce total abstinence, it has failed dismally. The other Canadian Provinces have tried “prohibition,” and in each case have had it repealed, substituting a measure of Government control. Iceland and Norway have both had prohibition, and both have given it up. The people of Switzerland and Sweden have voted against it by overwhelming majorities, and the disastrous results of its attempted enforcement in Russia and in Turkey are only too well known. Scotland defeated it by nearly 200,000 votes, and coming nearer home West Australia and Queensland have turned prohibition down decisively. New Zealand’s majority against prohibition more than doubled in three years, and it seems to be the general feeling that the prohibition party is surely but steadily losing ground. It is generally conceded that their questionable tactics to capture and dominate the Parliament of the country, combined with the knowledge that prohibition has failed wherever tried, will have the effect of greatly increasing the majority in favour of Continuance at the next poll.—Advt.