THE TEMPERANCE PROBLEM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6994, 9 January 1901, Page 4

THE TEMPERANCE PROBLEM.

(By CANTAB.) in. "STATE MONOPOLY" AND "HIGH LICENSE." V&nother attempt at temperance reform or regulation has been made in Rusia. "The Government has taken over the liquor trade in its entirety, and established, in place of public-houses in private hands, Government shops for the sale of spirits. There are also a certain nu^ifoer of establishments calledl " Traktirs " or restaurants, which sell on commission for the Government. In these shops no consumption on the premises ■is allowed, the liquor being dispensed in sealed bottles, for which; corkscrews are not supplied on the premises. A sweeping reduction ihas been made m tne number of licenses issued!; and (except in Poland and the western! provinces) no compensation ihas been given, pounteratfcractions have also been provided, "but not at v sufficient expenditure^ be of any real use. RESULTS 6^|THE MONOPOLY. Better and purer spirits tihan formerly are now sold ; there is les9 debauchery and drunkettness; and the credit system has been abolished. . Thrift has been encouraged amongst: ' the people, and the savings banksfe deposits have increased. Finally^* the 'fiscal results have been satisfactory, and the returns show an increase over "the old system of excise. It is an honesb effort in temperance reform. There is danger, [however, that the attempt to get revenue from sales will ultimately defeat -the moral objects of the measure. The inducement of the private trader to increase the sales is transferred to the State. ) This system, therefore, is as far removed as possible from the local control of a monopoly trade by a 1)ody of men -who wish to restrict its sales, as in Norway. . „ SOUTH CAROLINA. (Dispensary System, 1892.) The aim< of tihis system is (1) to fake the liquor traffic out of private hands, and $o reduce the evils , connected with private monopoly ; (2) to retain the whole of the profit arising from the trade for State and municipal purposes. A State Board of Control is elected by the General Assembly for carrying it into effect. No compensation, was given to previous holders of private licenses. There was intense opposition tojJta carrying out of its provisions, but its /general effect, with regard to drunkenness, has been distinctly good. A right of local veto is allowed to districts which do not wish to have any dispensaries established. In its general results the system (1) reduces the number of licensed places, (2) shortens hours of sale, f 3) puts an end to sales oh. credit, (4> furnishes pure liquor. The dangers of the system are the same as those in Russia, viz., the prominent idea of profit to the State from the sales. HIGH LICENSE. "' ' '" This system aims at the reduction of the number of licensed -houses by the imposition pf very high .fees for licenses— to vary according to the amount of population in various districts— e.g., 500 dollars where there is a population of 5000, and OU W 6 that amount where the population is 10,000.This experiment has been adopted in ,seven States. In Pennsylvania, where it came into force in 1888, other restrictions as to sale, etc., were also introduced, together with the requirement of a bond for £400 and of a like amount from two other bondsmen. , THe result has been a great reduction in the number of licenses issued, and a decrease in the number pf arrests for drunkenness; whilst the revenue has shown a decided increase. Its advantages .are (1) the extinction of low dram slicr^, (2) diminution of the number of public -nouses^ and so better police control, (3) stricter observance of the laws on the part of license-holders. HIGH LICENSE IN NEW YORK. In 1896 "The Liquor Tax" (Raines's) bei came law in the State of New York. It was only passed, however, after a most extraordinary scene in the House of Assembly, by a majority of 84 to 58. The Democrats and Republicans, who opposed the Bill, attempted to slip out of the House, in order that <a sufficient number of members might not be left to pass the Bill through the House. The ! doors were, however, locked to prevent their escape, and. the Bill, was then passed. By this law, all local boards for issuing licenses were abolished, and a system of State supervision introduced.^ All authority became centred in one' man — the State Commissioner of Excise. The excise taxes imposed were of six grades, according to whether liquor was to be sold on the premises, in restaurants, saloons, etc., or by a duly licensed pharmacist, or upon a railway car, steamboat, vessel, etc. High licenses were regulated according to the population of/}, the district. As in South Carolina, there were also local option clauses inserted. The financial results of this law have been good, and a great increase has taken place in the revenue! But there has not been any marked effect upon the number of licenses issued, and the system does not seem likely to act well in the large towns. EVILS OF HIGH LICENSE. Its great weakness is that "it leaves the saloon almost as great a power in politics as ever." Political power is merely coni cjntrated.i% the hands of big saloon keepers. Mere ensues, also, a large amount of bribery of police, in order that they may wink'M the existence ol non-licensed liouses: Any magistrates who press the enforcement of the law are simply not re-elected. 'It must also b^noticed that (1) high license gives the locality a direct interest in the local drink trade. Chicago} for instance, obtains a revenue of £715,000 from this source! (2) The interest of the ordinary dealer in pushing his sales is, under the system .of high license, intensified.