The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 1915. STATE LIQUOR MONOPOLY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 261, 14 April 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 1915. STATE LIQUOR MONOPOLY.

The announcement by the London Dailj Express that the Imperial Government has decided to purchase all the breweries and licensed houses in the United King don), and to establish a State monopol) of beer, is one that will create widespread interest throughout the Empire The control of the liquor traffic has long been the subject of animated, and at times heated, controversy, and the advocates of State control have certainly, done their utmost to attain tlie object in view. For over twelve years attempts have been made, in different parts of Great Britain, to get publichouses under public management by means of Public-house Trust Companies, it being considered that whilst recognising that public-houses were a public necessity, the elimination, as far as possible, of private profit from the retail trade of intoxicating liquors was of the utmost importance, so as to secure a strict enforcement of the regulative provisions of the licensing law. This reform had for its object the maintenance of the public-houses acquired not as mere drinking saloons, but as refreshment houses so far as local conditions would permit, the profits being paid over to trustees for public purposes, This movement, which was initiated by Earl Grey and the Bishop of Chester, took shape, and as the result there were 'n 1913 no less than 31 Trust Companies in the United Kingdom controlling 300 public-houses, while a large number would, in due course, he offered to the trust on the expiration of existing licenses. It is probable that the success of this enterprise lias in some measure convinced Mr. Lloyd George of the piactieability of State control, hut had it not been for the detrimental effect -;f excessive drinking by the workers at the ammunition factories at a most critical time it is hardly likely that the English Chancellor would have boldly plunged iv-to the most socialistic enterprise that (lie Homeland has yet undertaken. Assuming that, the announcement of the institution of State control is authentic, and that it will now eventuate, some idea of the v;\s(. sum involved in '.lie project may be gathered from the fa-;t that on January 3. .191:!, there w;tc 11l',!(!1 licensed premhes. hut a proportion of these would have ceased hi exist under the process of extinguishment by compensation, which in ]<m effected a reduction of Mo?, licenses* In Un> ci"ht years during which this process has been in force (l!)ir,-]i) a total of a ,'W,.:>■)() was paid out in compensation f uv sun licenses, the average cn-,1 for each 'n 11)12 being between -r.ii.li) ;nu i a) -,l). I; the remaining rtS.:!:~U full licensed pub-lie-houses and bocr-b-.c ~-< were acquired ac (say) CflOO, a sum approaching seventy-nine and a-half millions would be required in addition to compensation

for refreshmsnt-housos and' off ; licensos. Ou the top of that would Be the value of the breweries and distilleries which represent an enormous capital as may be judged from the value- of tlie total output, which in 1013 amounted to £106,681,000, while the excise and customs receipts totalled £40,304,833. The Resolution to acquire and'control a business of such vast proportions must be regarded as most courageous, .while it stamps Mr. Lloyd Ciorgo as the great man of the hour, and" should lead tlie ■ way to great changes in the lives and welfare of the community, while preserving the mucll-cherisht'd principle of liberty of the subject. There may be, ■ and doubtless are, those who would far i sooner have seen prohibition instituted 1 straight away as in Russia, but the ' Chancellor has evidently arrived at the conclusion that State control will best , meet the exigencies of the moment, and ' he is in a far bettor position to judge than anyone else. At all events, heis deserving of the highest commendation, and the Government will have the credit of rising to the occasion in a way that does honor to the best traditions of British history. There is no reason why the now departure should not be a complete success, and one that may lead to most gratifying result in t the condition of the people and the advancement of their moral and material welfare. Some drastic step had to be : taken, and most rational people will indorse the solution of the difficulty arrived at by resorting to State control.