Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-20
Government Control of L.
Quor Sale Voted by Five
Provinces and Others Stat
ed to Act Soon

OTTAWA, Ont, Dec. 15.-Trace a
steadily rising curve to dot labeled
1918, then drop it sharply to another
dot, at 1923, and on the white paper
ahead place Ieering question mark.
There you have history Of prohibit
ton in Canada.
On the rising slope are wavy ups
and downs representing the varying
successes Of the dominion alliance, Or
drys, and of the opposition that
fights now as the moderation league.
But none of the waves in the line
has the sudden, violent, jagged ap-
pearance Of the depression since
1918 This plunge takes ones breath.
If you place the Canadian graph
now alongside a similar curve for the
United States. there appears strlN-
ing parallel. That is, up to 1918.
The eighteenth amendment has
neld the United States to the peak
level CT its legislation. Unhampered
by constitutional restriction, follow
ing its fundamental policy Of deter
mination by provinces, Canada has
altered the course as local sentiment
wished
Followed Z. S. Lead
But there is no getting away from
the parallel. 1t insists upon the
eventually follow Canada in this lat
est turn?"
Canada reflects the American
movement through most of its his
tory.
When Maine went nominally dry
in 1851, the adjoining province OF
New Brunswick followed in four
years with a tentative prohibition
law. It lasted a year.
When the American prohibition
party was organized in 1869, it was
followed soon by the dominion ALI
aECe. And so it continued. Do
minionwide prohibition was voted in
1858, but the government never put
it into effect.
County option" as provided in
the Scott act" of s1S78, was for
years the Canadian kational policy
on prohibition. In certain provinces
provision was made for votes by
townships and municipalities. Local
option was especially popular in tbs
maritime provinces.
At the beginning Of the war On.
tario had 6S per cent Of its munich
palities dry and Quebec. rs per cent.
Dry During War
The war eventually brought do
minion wide prohibition. 1t was or
dered by the government, effective
in April 1918, continued until Jan
uary 1, 1920, and was severely bone
dry"
Prohibition by the province as
unit had been started in 1901 by
Prince Edward Island Influenced
by the wartime wave Of prohibition
sentiment, other provinces fell into
line. The landslide included in or.
der Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova
Scotia, Alberta, Ontario, New Bruins.
wick and British Columbia. The fed.
eral order brought it in Quebec also.
Dry forces, Naturally, fought
against repeal of the wartime order,
but in vain. They did obtain, how
ever, a law which permitted dry
provinces, upon petition, to have the
federal government prohibit ship
ments into their territory.
The dominion government always
has retained control over the manu-.
facturers of liquors and beer in dry
provinces and export from such
provinces. 1t permits that business
today.
OId-Time Bar Gone
After the dominion dry order was
revoked, the provinces began rapidly
to jump the fence from the prohibi.
ton fold. Quebec inaugurated it's
present system of government sale
and licensing in May, 1920. The next
June British Columbia put a SINH.
lar system into effect by authority
of popular vote. Yukon territory fol.
lowed in September.
This year the progress has cont1n.
ued. Manitoba voted for govern
ment sales in June, Alberta in No
Vember. A petition is to be pre-.
sented in Saskatchewan before
christmas and a vote is expected in
the spring. Ontario almost certain.
ly will vote on the question next
year, and the other provinces are
astir.
The old-time open bar has passed
out in Canada. No one agitates If.
Government control is widely nres.
ent, however, and growing in popu.
Iarity.
Canada has begun to slip ominous.
ly. And the dry army at length is
aroused for desperate battle.