New Britain herald., 1921-05-20
3 YEARS DROUGHT
 IS ABOUT TO END
British Columbia Has Moderate
 Wet Laws

Canadian Press)-With the coming into the force of the British Columbia Liquor Act, the province emerges from a three and a half year dry period. The present act is the result of the referendum taken on October 2o last throughout the province, when the people emphatically voted for the sale
 of liquor in sealed packages by the government The majority in favor of repeating the Prohibition Act was
 about 10000. The Liquor Act will be put into force when the commission CTS make desired arrangements which are expected ito be completed within several weeks.
 "Dry'' Back in 1917 The Prohibition Act. which closed the bars and all public places through out the province, came into force on the first day of October 1917, during
 the war when the people, by a small majority voted to prohibit the sale or liquor except by governmentdispensa ies. In order to purchase liquor under the Prohibition act, it was necessary to first obtain d prescription from doctor for which a fee of S2.00 was
 charged. The maximum quantity pur- chasable from a government dlS- pensary was two gallons. So great was the rush on the dispensaries and so many prescriptions were being issued, that the government at the session of the legislature in 1920 amended the Prohibition Act prohibiting the sale by government dispensaries of more than eight ounces on doctors pre- scription.
 People Take Vote
 In 1919 a move was made to have the 1,i Aaf 1nd nd Qf- fort continued until the government | agreed to submit the question to fu- ! ture liquor legislation to the people. A Moderation League was organized to | work for the repeal of the act the ob- | ject of the organization being to ob- i tain the sale of liquor. under govern | ment control. It was asserted that ! bootlegging was rampant throughout | the province and that a measure which would permit of the sale of ! liquor under proper control, would be preferable to the Prohibition Act. The | prohibitionists fought for the re- l tention of the Prohibition Act, but the Moderationists won.
 At the last session of the legislature, ! which closed but a few weeks ago, the new liquor law was passed following weeks of discussion. It will be admin I istered by a board of three appointed 1 by the government.
 Government Stores Established Under the British Columbia Liquor i Act, government stores are established i throughout the province for the sale of liquor These stores are admin i istered by the Liquor Control Board and each vendor is an employe of the Board. Sales must only be made to 1 those persons holding government permit for the purchase of liquor, and this permit alone with a written order for liquor must be presented at the time of purchase. Delivery of
 liquor can only be made in sealed
 packages, an consumption of liquor on
 store premises is not allowed. Liquor
 stores will not remain open for more than eight hours day.
 License to Buy
 Persons applying for liquor permit
 must be of the full age of 21 years
 and have resided in the province for at least one month. The fee for a permit
 limited to a single purchase of liquor is soc. This entities the purchaser to
 buy maximum quantity of two
 quarts of liquor other than malt liquor or ? quarts of malt liquor. Ne person is allowed to obtain more than ten single purchase permits in any one year. A permit must not be transferr- ed. The Liquor Control Board has power to cancel permits, as has also a Justice of those convicted of vio- lation of the Liquor Act.
 Drunkenness Forbidden
 Drunkenness under the act will not be permitted, and no person shall permit drunkenness to take place in any house or on any premises of which he is the owner, or tenant or occupant. Liquor must not be given to any per- son under the influence of liquor, nor must an intoxicated person be allowed to consume liquor on any premises. No person shall keep or consume li- quor in any part of an inn other than a private Suest-room, and no person who is not a bone-fide guest of the inn shall be permitted to have or con- sume liquor in an inn.
 Heavy Penalties
 Every unauthorized person selling
 liquor shall be liable for first offense to imprisonment with hard labor for not less than six months and not more than twelve months, and for a second or subsequent offense imprisonment with hard labor for not less than one year nor more than 21 months. If the offender is a corpOrtion a 1000 fine for the first offense and from S2,OOO to $6,000 for the second and subse- quent offenses. Penalties for other in i fractions of the act are also provided.
 The Liquor Board, at its first session decided to speed everything possible in connection with opening operation by the board. In the province of Onta rio, however, directly the oppo-