STATE CONTROL OF LIQUOR

Evening Star, Issue 16196, 18 August 1916, Page 1

STATE CONTROL OF LIQUOR

AN" INTERESTING EXPBBIID2CT.

IMulo the members of iho Liquor Control Board were bitting at Carlisle conferring witli representatives of the trade respecting their Bclismo 1o acquire the wholo of th< e>oo licenses jn that locality, it was interest* • ms to visit Annan, which lias a few mile* away on the Scottish side of the Border, and to observe the results to date of a enialle? but similarly complete plan of acquisition winch the board carried into effect about two months ago. Beforo the war Annan did not bulit prominently in the public- eye. lb possessed a well-ordered population of about J,OOO. the surface of whose life was ranelv ruffled. 'lhero wero nine hotels and ' inns", ■■" and about nvo or six licensed grooers who were permitted to sell liquor in bottles, and the eascis of drunkeuness ihat came before the magistrates were, like milestones to tha iooisorc pedestrian, few and far between. Then lass year a Hug of huta was hurriedly buili. near to the river, and before long two heavny-ladcn trains began to run to and rrom the town at night and morning, and a thousand or so laborers wero added for the. -unie to the population. Not especially in this out m other ways, a new current of vitality circulated through the people ot Annan. Trado improved—all kinds of foada —and business .increased at the local' bare.,A'tili a. feckless prodigality that has now bcicomo a byword, the majority of the nien who bad been imported into tho town exchanged their wages for drink, tho expert( consumption of which suggested to the aetoinshed folk of Annan a. long and thorough appr-Jiiliceship. The Board 'of Control, in* coiiiman with their action in other parts of tho I'oumry, fixed 9 o'clock as tho limit oi drinking in the public bare at night. At'' Annan they went a step further, arid breathing that magic phrase."Defence of the Realm,'' which is nowadays more ' potent than the elastic utterance " Open sesame," the board transferred to the State all the licenses and the premises to which they were attached, immediately suppressing tho licensed grocers.

The price of beer and spirits was more than doubled, and-tho quality was lowered by moro than half; but the light beers and tho watery spirits, it appears, wero consumed just as i'veely at the week-ends. Tho drinker..-, quickly discovered that individually. tho various potions vrero innocuous, so they mixed them, and unity, it wits again demon-Bt'-ated, is strength, Those who regarded tho . transaction of tho State from an ethical standpoint welcomed the board's action as (in the word? of ono of their champions) " a round-about road to temperance." Now they regard the " detour".with alarm, and* are circulating with great avidity a petition' praying for tho total prohibition of the sale of spirits. This document is, I tun told, . bring extensively signed. Tho prospective erection by tho board of a large canteen on a site, near to the mam street is also viewed w:ih disapprobation by a section of the townsfolk. There has been no official announcement as to the intentions of the beard, but Annan believes that beer will bo soli!, and whispers, with a tease sincerity that would astonish tho outside, world, thai spirits may also be retailed. Attacked to the canteen are to be a cinema and a bowling green, and ono of the leading men of the town, commenting on this, said tho-jus-tices would never havo sanctioned • such » proceeding in normal times. Ho agreed, however, that the canteen might reduce tho. pressure on the public-houses by attracting the newcomers. "And you may bo sure," 1 he added, heartily, "that our ain folk what like a quiet wee dr.ap will not follow them." A dchci-iption I received from ono with ai practical experience of the .new conditions may explain this disinclination, for close as« fu'ciatioii. Before, the house is opened on Saturday, after the workmen's trains havo arrived, mugs and glasses aro filled with, various liquids. Tho patrons arrive, and; speedily till tho bar in tightly-pressed-piatooni", Tho front lino receive tho liquor, thrown down their money, and withdraw to th-:; roar. The second lino advance/ ViriOj so en. This- method is said to work very well, and takings havo undoubtedly very greatly increased.

The position of rormci* owners and licensees has uudetgonc a. pronounced modification. .In most casoi the board's valuers hate completed their survey of buildings, stocks, and furnishings. The compensation offered by the board has not in every caso met with satisfaction. There were, indeed, some rather pungent statements at the Town Council meeting, and, since aggrieved persi:i:k have the right of appeal to* the Losses Coiiur.ission, certain cates aro being prepircd with ibis object in view. With oris or 'Kvo exceptions, former license-holders h:ivo been retained to conduct the businesses, which they appear to be doing zealously, although, the incentive of personal profit Ims been removed. Another point that eontrilmte.* to an altered state of mind is that, a.-; the board's servants, they can be dieuihsoil at a week's notice. Public-housea iiro not i'ow allowed to sell any intovicaiiuj} hqii-u' fur consumption off the premises, a dopoi- i'or this purpose having been cpeuedi in tho town. Since all the licenser* are held. bv the board, it is net known whether their validity is subject to yearly renewal. Nor I- the position of the licensing authorities clearly defined in tho uiiud3 of tho public, and it its stated that inspection of premise.:! i-v tlif police is perfunctory, to say the least. lit eonvrrsatioiw with representative men I heard regret expressed at; the disrtppearcmcoi of lite personal factor in tho control of public-houses, and while, in the opinion of others, State, control is an ideal highly prized, llio present results of the practical wee-king are somewhat dubiously viewed. I aiinn.v.-. despaired of finding an enthusiastic: f-supj-x-iicr of tho board, but he appeared as I v.as about to board a south-bound train. "Wo eoald nob have lived In this town," ho dr-c.l.ircd warmly (he was a man of somo pi-oiiiiiisr.i'e*, "if the Control Board had no(( {..hen ever the license;;. They may not b<? peri'.c.'. but nobody else could have kept d'-wn Ihe evil so efficiently.'' He agreed thai ohnost as nniclt might hnvo been done, withor.i. the actual acquisition of the licenses;'; '• but there is big money being niado.too.'y." he ioiu«rl-e(l, earnestly, "and I wand