Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-11-14
HOW CANADA
HAS SOLVED THE
DRl<k PROBLEM
Il, pr. FRANK Bahn


AAAA HAtHNNN ~ kHEAfHHHNf"N AI tlt WV
York nue1
The Canadian solution II The drink
problem may be seen AZ lis best 10
British Columbia ana Quebec SaS-
kateheWan adopted IL b, a Icftron-
dun vote in July l&s,. L Is mero
than likely .hatAall tbe Provinces of
Canada vii soon same IL il In enc
form or another. Az an American
whe travels widely IN both the United
States ana Canada the results are 50
|cV,dvnt that they can leave no room
,or doubt IN tho mind.
Tie Canadian system. where seen
az lis best. functions entirely through
Ia chain Of government warehouses
ana salesfoems. Where a majority
| u the community desires a shop. ono
| Is established, Local option means
that the loeal community majority can
not he overudden. There are no local
private interests seeking TO open a
highly profitable business. The result
| is striking
Only the larger cities and towns In
British Columbia have requested the
Iestahlishment ~ public liquor stores
\ large city like Montreal. in Quebec,
has several or the two Provinces
mentioned above. British Columbia
has worked out is system with the
greatest care and success In opera
ton. Saskatchewan, which will IN.
Suiatc government sale ON January
neNt, will probably follow the British
I Columbia precedent throughout Que
/ bee, whose system is as yet bit lax
and untrimnvd, might well study the
perfection Of the British Columbia
method, | shall describe the latter aa
( the best which has been worked out,
/ and then draw comparison with
Alberta, its neighhor Province. For
Alberta has made the great mistake
( OF combining government distribution
with private sales for profit
Ono enters the government liquor
store In British Columbia town of
/ 5000 Inhabitants. This town Is the
commercial center OF great mining
and numbering district IN that enor.
mously rich Province The writer
recalls only too we'll that sort of
western enVironment 20 years ago,
Al that time the drinking and gam.
bling resorts in these small CONNER.
elal eentefs of the Far West were as
evil, as disgusting az anything the
English-speaking world has ever given
us. Thousands OF mmbcfmen, miners
and cowboys would come into one
of these towns and waste their sea.
sons savings during single idle
week. The results for both town and
the men can never be forgotten One
who never saw Bisbee and Butte, Mel
son and Tonopah, In the old days can
not quite imagine the utterm0st evils
of the old-time drink traffic
Very we'll. On a Saturday morning
In June, 1924, the writer entered the
governmental liquor store In such a
town in British Columbia. There was
no sound but the humming Of q bee In
the lilac bush al the back door The
government agent sat at his desk
from . It'll l2, casting his accounts
During that time only one person, a
woman, entered. She was we'll dressed
and soft-spoken. She purchased one
bottle Of wine In the same manner
that she would ask for yard OF rib.
bon IN a neighboring shop When ~
o'clock struck the door was locked
until 8 o'clock Monday morning
This government agent Is one Of
the mosi respected men of the COM
munty. When the old saloon system
was In operation he was an ardent
temperance rcformer. lie took his
present position at personal saefis
| iiee. He wishes, ns an honest and In
! telligent citizen and temperance re-
| former 10 see the system given
| fair trial. lie Is the sort Of man one
would like 10 see appointed poatmas-
ter or county sheriff in that com
munity.
During the month of travelling in
British Columbia in May and June last
the writer saw no intoxicated person
The difference between British Col
umbia and Quebec in this matter Is
due not only to the system, but TO
other factors as well. Undoubtedly
British Columbia exercises greater
care, and there are comparatively few
American tourists there.
To purchase at the government
store In British Columbia one must
take out permit, paying two dollars
as a registry fee. or course II Is also
more difficult 10 control the business
in Montreal, city Of 10000 inhabi'
tants, than in a rural community. But
the point made by the British Colum-
bia agent, that il was his duty TO sell
as little as he could persuade people
to buy, Is vastly important. And
British Columbia has very wisely in
troduced a careful accounting system.
Every sale is registered on a personal
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