PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIX, Issue 13811, 16 July 1919, Page 6

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

STATE PURCHASE OF THE LIQUOR

TRADE. '

Rowntreo and Sherwcll, the well-known writers on social subjects, in their latest publication, discuss the question of Stat* Purchase (and subsequent control) of the Liquor Trade. They (in effect) maintain: (1) That the Trade, a* at present controlled, is a menace to the country'* best interests; and (2) that the experience gained during the v.ar throuzh State control, on a limited -cale warrants the. extension of the principle to the whole country. As to their first thesis, it will command general agreement; their second will provoke discussion, and consequent difference of opinion. Our present purpose " lo reviW the book in the ordinary mv, and allow Messrs ltowntrcp and, Sherwell to state their case as fully as the limits of space permit. Regarding the first, contention, a - thouH. it meets with general approval, it will he well briefly to put the mattor as it appears to the writers in question. They point out that during the war the State found it nccessan, to control. modify, and rcstr.et. existing arrangements in the sphere of. Bnamt commerce, and industry. Some of the new regulations were ol a startling and even revolutionary kind, bßtcn«yF| posal, ,: save one," was readily accepted and easilv enforced. 'The single exception concerned the/Mus »nd pnw-1-ges of the drink trade." Further, in response to private demand, and more, larcelv to naval and military needs. • attempts during the war to close reeluiidant breweries and """^f^ 1 ': censed houses by private ?«™Bf£P* with the Trade. The" negotiations fade' and much-needed concentration, which would have effected considerable nnel n-t it- seemed at one tune, vital 'economies in fuel, labor, and transport w£ m"de impossible. In the midst of a* <ig£ tic and unparalleled struggle , evhieh vital issues of civilisation and ,TCn of national existence were involr d we found ourselves paralyse, m ou. restrictive energies in regard to one ade only, and that, the, most dangeien* and least productive. L'ltiuutcij ••report was had to a temporary expewhich virtually suspended prewar -.censing arrangements by the Mib .motion of the authority and p .vw.r. of -t Central Hoard of Control, it w.i» an expV hue nt without precedent in our ",.n4ng history, but it justified U«eb. ! [; v , " l nt,nproc f dent,d measure - c ;,-.-. It was. however, :i» we ,£ l^ e {"*:"; , temporary expedient. I.mm;" dura lion to a period not exceeding twene tem -its avowed intention is to lesjnct 'f,T"s-iic and consumption «• ah-ohpl, of iho.*> whn«« sole interest ~ * * the .- «t" nri'-nre "am . Couia .in> 15".,. i,,C"I rrat7oi.nl and absurd?' T^c r re iv Messrs Rowntree and S;t Wo eliminate private T-rofc-nmuageinenr and control. ■ ~.i r„ . The experiment referred to bi>ng= • ■ to the- second contention t ive -nirite awis were affected: F-nti.; d. | r £"orclo i and Cromarty. Crc-tna ««- . udin" Annan). Carlisle City and Caris" f)i=A"ei. lhe chief «i«r.ineni w-M made \n the Carlisle nmn.uon. irci It appears that the majority ol m£ men erfiploved at Gretna were £u ™lVti.VCity of Carlisle, and the -en livin- in huts at Gretna or in the adioTning the- factory resorted to especiallv on Saturday.-, -as !| conseauence. the convictions for drunkenness rose from an average or live ner week to an average ot *- Pweek in the month of .Tunc-. 101b. lhe s-.,\e of Carlisle under pre-control conditions is thus desenoed:— The hoiu-Ing problem was acute hou-es were simply stacked w?thi-K-n." Every available room va « commandeered for sloep.ns pi»- „„=,.=.. Hundreds were compelled to Lard out. At nial.t these men were on'Cticallv turned nut into tne Mie.* [iiiVdtime Ueiv then were tiiou-ands of men wandering .»niabout, with plenty ot mone> mid'with puMic-hou,es at every ew vards invhing then, fo eonv.vn litj and seeming comfort. It is not t, be wondered at that secnes ot ilu. „,.« naiiseatiu" and degrading cha-r.-'ete- became a common occurrence. Men foiiirht like beasts; tievce tights "raMd round the doors ot the piiUichoTi<e= The dimini.-hed police force w-; unable to cone with lhe situation. Almost, every alley was huer.d with prostrate drunken men. ine train thoroughfare of Carlisle was Hedlam. and the returning trains to Gretna, with their living freight ol curbing, vomiting -ml falthy-mau-nered men are memories that cause one shudder.

Such is the picture oi a one-time quiet Cathedral City, which . aroused the Board of Control to action. . riwy acquired the licensed premises in Carlisle itsolf and in tin- two acjacent 1 ottv Sc.-sional Divisions, also the whole undurtakins:, of the tour Carlisle breweries V - '■> result:., winch space iorl>ld> 'us'to derail, drunkenness was reduced to a minimum: good tood was i,ri)v;<led for timsc- who needed it; pub-lie-houses were reduced m number, and cmcentration made for efficiency;_ private interest in the .sale -jf liquor being eliminated, managers had no incentive to push the shlc. while,, on the other h-nd thev were encouraged to promote tlio sale oV food and light refre>-liments. Finnllv clean, bright, healthy rooms were 'provided for the convenience of ih- customers and everything possible wan done, under the cireiimstanees. zo promote the- welfare of the community «t lar-c. Tlie change brought about is thus note;!: —

To the ordinary resident in Carlisle the change in the conditioni oi. the -itrcf-U i- most marked. Jhe crowd-- ;ire -till there, although smaller than in previous months. Twit thev :>re orderly and restrained, and for'some time past a woman has been able once again to go about in •afetv. Tlie former scenes of drunkenness and disorder have disappeared. On this point local testimony and personal observation are alike emphatic. Such, in brief, is the experiment made, and.' arguing from the lesser to the greater. Messrs Itowntree and Sherwell mam tain that State Purchase (and ultimate control) of the Liquor Trade ii tlie onlv feasible solution of the drink problem. " As we said at the beginning of this review, this contention will provoke discussion and consequent difference of opin-.on: and if any readei is inclined to favor the course- "f action advocated, it ninv h~ pertinent to ask vvhether our already large public service is likelv to be benefited by the addition of ':, Department of Drink, p'urther. given human nature what it is. and the demoralising- effects of alcohol what they always have been, are the restrictions.' regulations, and pergonal supervision*, wnieh accompanied the Cariisk- experiment, likely to be efficientlv carried out over the area of a whole "Dominion? Finally, would the influence of a Drink Department, with its ramifications thronghont the country, be always exercised for the general public well-being? 1 In conclusion i "VVhether or not one agrees with Messrs Rowntree and Shertrell. they are to be congratulated upon the manner in which they have maintained their position. Theirlittle book is an interesting contribution to the study of the Drink problem, and may be commended to the attention of all interested therein. The book (of 86 pages) contains 1-1 photos of taverns under the Board's control, two charts, and an index. The publishers are George Allen and I'nwin. Ltd.. London.