The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1930-01-01
CANADA A GOOD WITNESS FOR THE DRYS

T--r totals even with these allowances
show a very decided upward trend. From
the low figure of Y millions in 1919 the
Dominion Revenue from excise and Gus
toms duties and taxes on alcoholic bever-
ages increased to 49& millions in 1929
Provincial revenues from the liquor traf-
fic are now mostly from the profits on
sales through Government Liquor Com
missions. In 1920 the provinces received
from liquor traffic revenue S3,837,000
while in 1923 the corresponding figure
was $22,755 900. A striking feature of this
situation is that in the fiscal year ending
in 1923 approximately one-eighth of all
Dominion and all Provincial revenue was
derived from the trade in alcoholic bev-
erages.
In Table are given totals for criminal
statistics as they relate to the liquor traf-
fc. Convictions for indictable onenses
decreased in the early years of the war
by some 81 per cent, and then began to
rise. In 1929 the offenses under this head
by juveniles were removed from the gen.
eral list and reported separately so that
the apparent total dropped back to little
more than that for 1917. In 1923 there
was small further reduction, but from
that year the numbers rise steadily
reaching a higher total in 1928 than in
the year ending September 30. 1914, al
though it should be remembered that
population has increased appreciably dur
ing the same period. The number of con-
victions for illicit stills" first separated
from other Inland Revenue act offenses
in 1921 reached a peak of 1,068 in 1923
and decline to 291 in 1923. Convictions
for driving an auto while intoxicated"
grew from 142 in 1921 to 1922 in 1928,
while the number Of motor cars registered
in Canada was slightly more than dou-
bled The proportion Of immoderate
drinkers amongst those whose use of liq-
uors is recorded fell from 29.6 per cent in
1914 TO 90 per cent in 1928, AMI had risen
by 1928 to 144 per cent.
Summary convictions, if infractions of
traffic regulations are excluded, are less
than in pre-war days. The prcportion>of
the total due to traffic offenses is now
about SIS per cent. Of the remainder,
convictions for drunkenness and infrac-
tons of the liquor laws accounted in 1923
for approximately 46 per cent Both
show a considerable increase both in ac-
tual numbers and in percentage of the
total, excluding traffic offenSes, since the
low years 1915 and 1919. Convictions for
drunkenness have increased from 81 .O26
in 1918 to 33 095 in 1928, although still far
short of the pre-war figures of more than
1000 in 1918 Infractions of the liquor
laws increased from 1888 in 1919 to $3.50
in 1928.
liable 6 shows a steady increase in the
number of deaths recorded as caused by
alcoholism, and also in the proportion
they bear to the total. Figures for Que
bee are not available prior to 1926. It
will be seen that deaths from alcoholism
Excluding Quebec have more than dou-
bled in the seven years tabulated. The
total deaths from cirrhosis of the liver
show a similar increase from IA in 1921
to 214 in 1925. A slight decrease in the
other provinces in 1926 and 1927 is more
than Offset by the large number of deaths
from that cause in Quebec. The number
specified as due to alcoholism seems to
bear no relation to the total, as the re-
turns are at present made by physicians"
A study of all the. facts in the Donin-
ions official bulletin show that for 1914
1923 which was in general a period of
widening dry territory including war
time prohibition up to the time that the
government control began to Offset the
beneficial effects of previous temperance
and prohibition policies.
The population of Canada increased
ID per cent.
The manufacture of spirits shrank rs
per cent.
The manufacture of malt liquor shrank
"a per cent.
The imports of spirits shrank So per
cent