LIQUOR IN FACTORIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 266, 9 November 1928, Page 14

LIQUOR IN FACTORIES.

A CANADIAN EMPLOYER CONDEMNS PROHIBITION. Writing to the New Zealand Licensing Reform Association in May of this year, Mr. F. Barry Hayes, president of the Toronto Carpet Manufacturing Company, which employs some two thousand hands, indicates some of the reasons why jtrohibition has been abandoned in Canada, after an extensive period of trial, and State control installed in its place. Mr. Hayes writes as one who has, by experience, been converted from an advocate of "extreme prohibition" to a supporter of Government control. His letter is as follows:— The Toronto Carpet Mfg. Co., Ltd., Toronto, Canada, May 23, 1928. Mr. R. A. Armstrong, Dominion Secretary, The New Zealand Licensing Reform Association, Wellington, NX Dear Sir, — I have your favour of the 24th ult., in reference to prohibition in Canada. As far as I can judge, doing away with prohibition and' adopting Government control has been all to the good. When prohibition came in first, as a large employer of labour (having about 2000 employees in our different factories), we were ardent advocates of it, and I must say that during the war our employees lived up to its requirements; but, after the war, they seemed to consider that their liberties were being interfered with, and resented that, with the result that instead of drinking beer they took to bringing flasks into the factories and workrooms, with bad results. Since Government control has been in force, this has all been done away with, and we think very much less drinking is being done, because the people can only buy from dispensaries, so that the excesses that took place under prohibition are more or less eliminated. With our young people in social sets, girl and boy both invariably carried flasks with them to dances, which had a very detrimental effect on them. This lias been done away with almost altogether under the control, i.e., a host can now provide some kind of cup—claret or wine or even punch—and, as the young people are not restricted, and know that they can get more if they require it, they do not go to excesses in any way. In regard to the general health of the community: under prohibition a lot of bootlegging liquor was sold, and many deaths and impaired health was the result, as a great deal of the liquor was synthetic gin and illegally-manufactured goods. I do not think that the people generally would ever return to prohibition again, , and I may say I am a convert from extreme prohibition to Government control. > The fact that we have no sales of liquor in the bar as it used to be is quite a I factor. All treating, which was a bane to life in the old days, is done away with. Yours very truly,

(Sgd.) F. Barry Hayes (President). The foregoing is but one of hundreds of similar communications received from leaders of thought in all walks of life in Canada. They are unanimous in condemn* iug prohibition (after an actual experience of that system extending over many years), and in praising State control. The example of our sister British Dominion should be given due consideration by the people of New Zealand, who will, at the approaching poll, have the opportunity of declaring for true temperance by voting for State Purchase and Control.