Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-11-28


principle that Mr. Gladstone wrote ia Sep
tember of 1894; In principle you are work
tenable.' lie added: 4 am friendly to local
option. but it can be M more than a par
tial and occasional remedy.
writing later in the same month, he
said
"'I have in no respect rcccded from
former declarations as 10 local option. My
opinion I'm Its favor remains unnltcrcd hut
j hope more may be done for coping with
the frghtful evil than local ol.ion, If it
stands alone. seems likely to effect.
ION another occasion, speaking In the
House of Commons. he said: why is it
that the position of the public houses in
this country of ours Is different from and
lower than it is in any country in Europe?
That is the result of the management
which have followed and the number
Gof public hntisesl does not in the slightest
degree tend TO mitigate that statement. I
am one of those who see the utmost in:
from what is called the puhlicans monopo-
~, and not through aoy fault Of the pub
lean, or; indeed, of any one My firm he
lief Is that as long as the monopoly CON
nected with private interests belongs to
the trade. you will never have true and eff
hcient police supervision exercised over
must continue to hold the disparagcd and
unsatisfactory position which they do hold ,
now, and have held for many generations.
"1n 1877. Mr.. Chamberlain brought before
Parliament resolution affirming it to be
desirable to empower the Town Councils
of boroughs under the Municipal Corpora
ton Acts TO acquire compulsOrily, on pay
ment of fair compensation. the existing in
terests in the retail sale of Intoxicating
drinks within their respective DISTRICTS
and thereafter, If they see fit, to carry on
the trade for the convenience OF the inbab-
itants, but so that no individual shall have
any interest in nor derive any profit from
the sale In submitting his resolution, Mr..
Chamberlain explained that the Brming-
ham Town council; by majority of forty
six to ten. and the Board of Guardians
unanimouSly' has passed resolutions BY "a
city also. with one dissentient. had passed
resolution approving the principle Of the
to the Wesleyan ministers of the town with
similar result. Moreover, he had that day,
presented a petition in its favor from the
dom Alliance. Mr.. Bright, Mr.. Samuel
Morley, Sir Wired Lawson, Sir John Ken
naway. Sir Mountstuart Grant-Dufr aud
Mr.. Leonard Courtney were among those
who voted in favor Of the resolution.
sir Wilfred lawson, while admitting
that he could not agree with everything in
the resolution, nevertheless asserted that
1T would. if passed. he the most deadly
blow which this generation has seen struck
The present licensing system he urged.
had failed ,utterly;, and why? Because
every individual trader in this business is
paid by results. He is paid exactly in pro-
portion to the amount of drink which he
can get his ,fellow-creatures to consume
He added: 4 support this resolution be-
cause. with all its drawbacks. it strikes a
deadly blow at the present licensing sys-
tom. and because. although that is not its
prohibiting the liquor traffic in the hands
Of 200 municipal councils, representing
5000. 600 of inhabitants. | cannot resist on
this occasion doing what little there Is in
my power to support an earnest, honest
and able attempt 10 deal with the greatest
evil of orr day and generation
"Mr. Chamberlain. as is wcl known. is
advocated as ever Lord Ahcrlare' form
erly Mr.. Bruce. who prepared the great
Bill of 1871 was supporter of the prin-
ciple. The same principle forms the basis
Of the scheme advocated by the Rshop Of
Chester. who has done 50 much To ..AHiiar-
izc the public mind with It's nature and
Importance.
cinlc 10 be effected? Probably the most
suggestive experiment in this direction Is
that represented by the Norwegian Com
pany system, which. in It's fundamental
principle. undoubtedly furnishes the most
valuable practical suggestion for enectuS
the reform in question. 1t would therefore
seem to be important that the first step in
the direction of reform should be 10 TO con-
hrm upon localities the power OF Granting
Il monopoly of the entire retail traffic with.
In their borders either to companies formed
Tor that purpose upon which the lhumcpal
councils shall be Directly represented, or.
under clearly defined safeguards, to the
councils themselves.
Again in the course of the chapter the
author says
With the main principles that undcrlie
the Bishop of Chester'S proposals. namely.
the elimination of private profit. there can
be nothing but cordial agreement, and GER
tainly no one in England has done more 70
point out its supreme Importance and
value"
In conclusion. referring to the effective
causes of intemperance the author states:
THAT above all others are the arrange
ments under which the sale of alcoholic
drinks Is placed in the hands of those who
seek to stimulate their consumption TO the
utmoSt"-a condition distinctly within the
sphere of legislative influence. There is
growing feeling that the enormous mo-
nopoly profits which Mt present attach to
the trade. and which must grow, rather
than diminish. with an increasing popula-
tion and Il diminishing number of licenses,
ought not to be reapcd 10y private indtvid-
uals. but be used for the benefit of the
community. Tho question to he decided is.
How best may this be eMcctcdt one
method Of effccting it is by Offering the u
censes at public auction To those who will
agree to pay the highest license fees. or
If this method he objected toby LARGELY
increasing the statutory fees. In other
words. by adopting. in one or other of its
forms. n SYSTEM of high license. But, apart
from the fact that this suggestion touches
part of the problem only. its defects rs we
have seen. are obvious. It not only fails
to destroy the political influence of the
trade. but IL gives the lccnsee an even
greater incentive TO push his sales. The
Increased cost Of the license must he met
by increased sales.
"The alternative scheme is to take the
traffic entirely out of private hands. y