SOCIALISM AND STATE CONTROL OF THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

Evening Post, Volume LXVI, Issue 16, 18 July 1903, Page 15

SOCIALISM AND STATE CONTROL OF THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir — Out of regard for your space I dealt very briefly with only two phases of the above question as raised at a recent meeting of the Socialist Party. I now learn that you were misled by whoever it was that reported the meeting to you. The party did not adopt the platform of State control. I should now like to ask what rea,} evidence there is that State control in Russia had been a success. A consular report from St. Petersburg published about ten' months ago declared that drunkenness under the new system exceeded its former proportions, and blames the Government for placing the undertaking on a mercantile basis. It quotes figures to show that the consumption of spirits had increased in an alarming manner since the State ownership had been established, and that its only prospect of success lay in the yielding of an immense revenue to the Government. A Russian resident in New Zealand, who had recently visited Russia, told me not long since that, whereas under the old system Russian men got drunk in the publichouse, under the present system they buy the liquor, take it to some open-air place of resort, and drink it with the woman till, in some instances, scores of both sexes lie in drunken insensibility on the ground. Apparently the only evidence to the contrary that was quoted by the lecturer at the Socialists' meeting was that of a Russian inspector of police, and how much was that worth? At our own door in New Zealand we have seen a police inspector's report that strongly condemned oertain hotels as unfit to be licensed, whittled down to nothing when the inspector was called before the Licensing Committee. How much more value can be attached to the report of a Russian police official making a statement to gratify the Government that appointed him and wanted their scheme well spoken of? — I am, etc., ' H ' FRANK W. ISITT/ Wellington, 14th. July, 1903.