Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-01
CANADA, FIGHTING HUNIANNATURE,
CALLS PROHIBITION A FAILURE

ton that the beer tavern is only a
slightly modified saloon, and that the
evils OF the saloon are manifest in the
beer tavern. In beer tavern one al
ways finds a minority who have sue
cumbed to the warning tingle pro.
duced by the alcohol in one bottle.
and who have ordered more TO watch
that tingle grow. And when one null
tiplies that small minority found drunk
in one beer tavern by the 302 taverns
in Montreal, there is large total
who get drunk every day, despite po-
lice records which might indicate the
contrary.
Likely to Keep Beer.
Montreal will probably cling to the
beer tavern for long time. The
population of the city is counted at
about rs or 80 per cent French. The
right of the Frenchman to sit over a
glass of wine or a bottle of beer lies
close to his heart. A Frenchman can
consume more time in making way
with bottle of beer or glass of
wine than the average American re-
quires to dispose of a pint of whisky.
The French Canadian possesses many
of the characteristics of his fore
fathers in this land. He likes to sit
and sip.
But if Ontario votes wet, it is I'M
likely that the Province will allow the
beer tavern. And few can deny that
the beer tavern is only an unsuccess-
full way of getting around the saloon.
Few men like to drink in private; but
most men like to drink with convi-
vial friends, and one does not have
TO look far to find conviviai friends in
tavern. The tavern encourages
drinking! The sale of liquor for use
in the home simply permits drinking.
1t offers few inducements.
Ontario. in this respect. would fol
low the example of Manitoba, British
Columbia and Saskatchewan. These
Provinces, after trying prohibition for
a while, adopted a system Of allow
ing the purchase of beer, wine and
whisky for use in the home or club.
No public drinking places are allowed.
Alberta alone has Joined Quebec in
allowing the tavern and beer selling
restaurant, where beer or wine may
be sold by the glass.
Farmers Vote Dry.
In Canada, as in the United States,
the rural districts have voted stead
lastly for prohibition. A number of
causes are advanced for this attitude.
The country folk, in the first place,
as a group are more strongly bound
to their churches than are those of
the cities. In Quebec, for instance,
where the rural population has voted
for prohibition. the community re-
wolves about the parish priest. His
flock do pretty much as he tells them
to- And while the Catholic hierarchy
in this district has never committed
itself on the question of prohibition,
the individual priests are counted in
some communities as the most ardent
prohibition workers, or it might be
more true to say, temperance work
ers. The story is told here of a vener-
able bishop insone of the communities
near Montreal, who, when asked what
he wanted for his birthday present.
asked for abolition of the taverns and
public drinking places in his jurisdic-
ton, and the people gave ii to him
The tavern in a small town is a gath
ering place for the loafers. 1t is a
burden for the community to support.
If the farmer is busy, he doesn't have
time to go and drink at the tavern, If
he's not busy, he ceases to be a pro-
Queer and becomes a drone. In Quebec
the farmer can procure his drink from
a government store and have it de-
livered at his home when he wants it.
In the rural parts cf Ontario the
poison tale goes forth from the
wicked tongues of the vets that the
farmers all have their own stills.
This is probably an imaginative
story told to explain the mysterious
fact that the farmers vote dry. But
the truth is that the farmer proba-
bly, cares little for the strong liquors
or spirits and makes his own wine
or buys it legally, or brews his own
beer. 1t is not hard to understand
why they hesitate to endorse a
movement which might bring the
saloon back to town to draw away
the hired help and generally provide
noisonie root of infection for an
otherwise law-abiding community.
Comparisons in statistics concerning
bank accounts, crime, illness, ruined
homes and poverty might be cited
here-as they are cited everywhere
Ito show that Ontario, under prohi-
bition, is better off than Quebec,
without. When liquor is not avail
able legally. much of the money
which would otherwise go for the
purchase of liquor finds it's way into
channels which are deeper dug and
more firmly protected against the
changing tides and shifting sands.
But are such figures really signifi-