The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1921-05-06
VScOUNTESS Aston HITS
BRITISH LIQUOR TRADE
House of Commons Is Scene of
Great Speech Urging Rigid
Liquor Control
TRADES POWER WANING
British Liquor Interests Seek to
Extend Hours for Grog
Merchandising

Lady Astor i'll the House OF Conn.,
mons OH April p made a big Tight
ing speech in behalf OF rigid liquor
control. The House was debating
the private members bill designed TO
relax the wartime restrictions on the
liquor traffic. The woman member
from Plymouth leaped into the Tray.
Il am for ideal homes rather than
for ideal public houses was one of
Lady Astors quip remarks. Among
others were these: YOU can't make
drink respectable" 1--WE hear much
about it in the name OF freedom.
Freedom for what? Freedom to
drink more" And referring to the
waning political influence of the liq-
uor traffic, The soldiers used to sing,
'The poor old kaiser amt what he
used to be-"
Lady Astor figured as the leading
champion for the government which
while delaying the introduction of
its opposition bill has shown strong
dissemination to returning to any
thing like prc-war conditions, says 4
special cable TO the New York Herald.
The Herald dispatch continues:
With her wit and originality which
always holds the House. she riddled
the bill with telling arguments, very
capably holding her own against the
opposition which was inspired by the
nature OF the subject under discus
sion. Lady Astor's criticism is be-
lieyed to have killed the bill.
The bill proposes among other
things, to extend the hours in which
liquor selling places may keep open
from six to a minimum OF nine hours
and a maximum Of eleven hours. with
local option 10 decide if the hours
shall be from 500 a. m. to midnight;
and also the formation OF licensing
courts of appeal presided over by
three specially appointed judges.
Col John Gretton in making mo-
ton for a second reading OF the bill
attacked the Liquor Control Board
and said the trade regarded itself as
servant OF the people and that the
bill was intended to remedy the de-
fccts affecting the trade. Lady Astor
urged the House to look at the ques-
ton from national point OF view and
argued that tie Control Board pro-
NOTED national efficiency and that
there was never a greater need for
national efficiency than now.
Lady Astor declared that great
deal lad been said about the ineon-
vonience to which some people had
been put. On this point she said:
What about the great sacrifices
the nation has made. If there S
ono thing the Anglo-SaXon peo-
pie pride themselves on it is their
honesty; We are not all honest
but we admire honesty. Fancy
trying to make lis believe that the
bill will have the effect OF selling
more tea, buns and cocoa. 1t
isn't honest. We can see through
it all. 1t IS the thinnest camou-
hage ever presented in Parlia-
mcnt.
Drinl, destroys cf ciency.
Therefore it affects every indus
try in the country. This bill
would increase drinking.
wariHthe supporters of the
bill that the drink traffic has not
the hold upon the nation that it
once possessed. The bill threat
ems thousands of homes in this
country What the country
wants is a real temperance bill
based on experience gained dur
ing the war. The chief object of
this bill is to sell drinks. 1t isn't
bill to try to make home life
better. 1t is trying TO make
the parlor more attractive for the
poor little fly.
It is not believed that the govern
ment will introduce its bill at this
session but probably will wait until
autumn Meanwhile it is hardly
likely thai the Defense of the Realm
Act restricting the sale of liquor to
certain hours will remain in force.