Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-01-17
BONE-DRY CANADA
BEGINS VERY soon
ON FIRST OF APRIL THE ENTIRE
DOMINION WILL BECOME PROHI-
BITION TERRITORY IN STRICT
EST SENSE.

TORONTO, Jan. III bone-dry
Canada in immediate prospect is the
first important announcement of the
Union government since its indorse-
ment by the people.
To outsiders this announcement
might appear less radical than it
really is, the impression having got
abroad that most of Canada is al
ready dry. 1t is true that the pro-
vinces of Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta,
Saskatchewan and British Columbit
are under provincial prohibitory laws
restricting or prohibiting altogether
the sale within the boundaies of the
probine of intoxicating liquor, and that
practically all of the maritime PROVING
es, and even so per cent of the NUM-
cipalities in the province of Quebec,
have prohibitory laws similar n eff
felt, but promulgated by individual
municipalities rather than by the pro-
vince.
Nevertheless, such has been the
limits of the legislative powers Of
provinces and municipalities. 1t is
doubtful if there is a province or
even a single municipality in the Do
mnion that it absolutely bone dry at
the present time. While the local
jurisdiction could prevent, and has
prevented the sale Of liquor within
ISIS territory. only the Dominion au-
thorities have power to interfere with
importation from one province to an
other or from one municipality to
another, provided the actual sale took
place in unrestricted territory.
The result has been that the
province of Ontario, for example,
which has been nominally dry since
September. 1916. no one with twenty
four hours forethought of a thirst
need go without the wherewithal to
quenCh it, All the man in Toronto
who wants LIQUOR has to do today is
tc write or telegraph to one of scores
of merchants in Montreal, and he will
have anything he wants up to a car
load dellvcred az his home in To-
ronto by express on the following day.
The facilities for house delivery are
almost as good as ever they were.
Wiping out of the saloon has I'M
doubtedly abolished a great deal of
drinking. At the same time house
drinking has increased. The business
of the express companies has been
enormous, particularly between cities
like Montreal and Toronto; and one
OF the ironies of the situation during
recent months has been that scores
of towns and cities have frozen UP
because the railways could not de-
liver coal, while cars and locomotives
by TIE dozen were busy carrying
booze
Under the governments new enact
ment this entire traffic is to be wiped
out. After April /, 1918. all importa.
ton Of LIQUOR INTO ary areas will be
prohibited Not only that. hut al
importation of LIQUOR into the country
is to Re prohibited This VIII hit il
particular large importations O
Scotch whiskev. which has always beel
a favo~ite in Canada To a lesser ex
tent it VII cut of trade in gins ant
stouts from Fneland and Ireland anC
wines from France. The feet that al
this Is trade either with Allies Or as
soeiate7 portions of the empire. an,
that s~ch i~a~o-tntions have helped t.
keer a trade balance between Canad;
and these count~'es even in TIE emery
ency Of wa- time, is ignored by tn'