The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1922-04-21
VANCOUVER GROCERS VIEW
: EMPTY TILLS WITH ALARM
Ask Government for Plebescite in
Province on Liquor Sale
Question
GOv'M'T CONTROL FAILS
Liquor Sales in Vancouver Aver
age $4,000 Per Day; Longer
Hours Sought

On the grounds that the business
of retail grocers is suffering heavily
through the consumption of liquor in
Vancouver, B. c., the Grocers' Section
of the Retail Merchants Association
at the annual meeting last week passed
resolution to request the govern
mcnt to take plcbiscite to ascertain
the feeling OF retailers throughout the
province on the question of liquor and
its sale. In other words, the grocers
would make the province bone dry.
The people OF British Columbia on
October 30, 1920, by vote of o0.sss
TO 55,448, majority of 45,437, adopted
government control.
The wording OF the resolution Is as
follows:
Whereas under the liquor control
act OF British Columbia there have
been established 81 liquor stores & of
which are in Nancouver) and
Whereas the published reports
show that in these stores tho sales OF
liquor from June /, 1921, to December
81 amounted to $4,9oS,S35, and
"Whercas it is stated that 448 per
cent was done in Vancouver stores
averaging $4,000 day and publish
ing the suggestion that the hours of
sale be extended professcdly to admit
Of more sales to transients, and
Whereas the press is used in its
advertising department to advertise
and further encourage the sale OF liz
uor. and
Whereas our province in common
with other parts of the world is pass
ing through very difficult period of
financial depression involving much
unemployment and the administration
of relief in the different communities
and
Whereas the business of the retail
grocers is suffering very heavily from
the diversion OF money into liquor
channels which would be spent legiti-
mately to supply food and other ne
cessities and comforts for the people,
and
Whereas merchants in other lines
are similarly affected by the heavy
and wasteful expenditures for liquor,
therefore be it
Resolved, That this section recon-
mend to the provincial executive that
this resolution be circulated among
the various branches Of the province
to ascertain if they are in favor OF the
Retail Merchants Association re-
questing the government to take
plebescite at an early date on the pro-,
hibition of the sale and importation of
liquor in the province"
The above resolution tells the whole
story. Money spent for liquor
whether spent in a government con
trolled store or in a privately oper-
ated saloon, is diverted from legitimate
trade channels. The enemies of Pro
hibition in the United States who arc
clamoring for the restoration of the
liquor traffic have been widely circu-
lSting the figures showing the tire
mendous profits accruing to the gov
eminent from the sale of liquor in
Quebec and British Columbia" They
fail to take into account the fact that
these profits have come from the vic
Tins Of the liquor habit and not from
the liquor makcrs-that every time
dollar is spent for liquor legitimate
trade suffers just to that extent. 1t
makes no difference whether it is the
government or private corporations
that receive this profit, the fact re-
mains that the drinking people pay
the bill and an economic loss is in
4 II.