Evening star., 1925-05-21
EIGHT.YEAR DROUGHT ENDS.
Entire Dominion Went Dry as War
Measure.

OTTAWA, Ontario, May q R).-
Real beer was on sale legally today
In ontario. Canada's banner province,
for the first time in eight years.
In 1917 the whole Dominion went
dry as a war measure. After the war
the liquor question in each of the
nine provinces was left to referendum.
Quebec, Manitoba, British Columbia,
Alberta and Saskatchewan have re-
turned to a full wet status. The
maritime provinces--Nova Scotia.
New Brunswick and Prince Edward
1sland-remain in the prohibition
column.
Ontario voted twice on the sub
ject. the drys winning each time. The
Provincial Legislature lately amended
the act to legalize the sale of A per
cent beer under restrictions.
The provincial authorities regard
this "four-by-four" beer as non-in.
toxicating and perhaps It is going TO
disappoint parched throats from Vol
stead land. 1t is 4.4 per cent alcohol
by weight, or rs by volume. with a
kick presumably less potent than the
disappointing 2.75 beer sold In the
United States under wartime pro.
hibltion. The one-half per cent limit
of the Volstead act refers to volume.
Border Cities Interested.
Border American cities, notably
Niagara Falls and Buffalo. n. Y, and
Detroit, were especially interested in
the advent of "four.by.fo
Reservations from Detroit exhausted
the supply OF tables at Windsor. On
tario, hotels. Windsor, a 10-minute
ferry trip from the motor metropolis
expected a lucrative trade from Amer
leans. Approximately 1900 applica
iion blanks for licenses were obtained
in Windsor alone. One hotel fitted ur
an old English taproom and hired
cockney barmaids. Another reported
reservations from as far South in the
States as Arkansas. At the Prince
Edward Hotel there will be a New
Beers day" celebration tonight.
In Niagara Falls, Ontario. the w. c.
T. U. threatened a boycott on all gro
GERS who might sell the beer. Ten
hotels applied for licenses.
Beer may be sold at government
licensed hotels from Z o'clock in the
morning until IL o'clock at night. 1,
may be sold only at tables by the
glass or bottle. and cannot be sold a,
| bars. Grocers, however, may supply
the brew to families for home con
sumption.
Bottle Costs Quarter.
The retail price is to Is cents q
glass. A bottle costs 25 cents. The
i brewery price is -$15 a half barrel
| Ten cents for 10 ounces. however, IL
! the average price. The province col
lects a 10-cent tax on each gallon.
Billboards advertising new brewt
| have been added to the landscapes III
Various parts of the province. Ir
Windsor yesterday gayly decorated
trucks carrying the British flag pa
raded the streets advertising -Four By
| four"
-Four by four" has already beer
christened "Fergie's Foam" since &
Is sponsored by the Ferguson govern
| ment, which believes 1t will be bene
| ficial in satisfying thirst without hav
ing folks resort to poor bootlegget
| whisky.
Wheeler Sees Harm.
Wayne B. Wheeler, general counse
Of the Anti-Saloon League of America
who was in Buffalo when the Ontari,
| flood started, said Americans would b,
disappointed in "a by A." although h,
expressed fear that the general resul
| might be detrimental to prohibition II
the United states by giving bootleg
! gers more opportunities.
Mr.. Wheeler's presence in the borde
| city apparently had nothing to do Will
| precautions taken by United State
| prohibition agents to meet the nev
danger OF a leak in the roof. He wa
in Buffalo to address a Sunday schoo
convention. -.