It is impossible for us to express a final view
upon so difficult and complicated a measure as the new. Licensing Bill before its clauses have been much more thoroughly discussed. We may say, however, that though we regard the moral and economic evils of intemperance with the utmost anxiety, and hold that the working classes spend far too much of their money upon intoxicants, we agree With Mr. Balfour in feeling very grave doubts as to whether there is any real prospect of temperance being secured threugh the reduction of licenses, especially when the facilities for forming clubs to take the place of extinguished public-houses are to remain practically unimpaired. We hold, as we have always held, that bempet- ance in the working classes can only come in the same way as temperance has come among the richer sections of society,— through a higher moral standard in the matter of self- restraint and a better understanding of the laws of health. The facilities with which the richer classes can obtain intoxicants have enormously increased in the last fifty years, yet those years have been marked by a very, great increase of temperance among them. But although we have no illusions as to temperance being secured by the limitation of public. houses, we are willing to admit that there are at present a quite unnecessary number of public-houses in many villages and towns ; and further, to acknowledge that the general public opinion of the country (an opinion which is not in any way inspired by teetotal fanaticism) considers the excess of public-houses a scandal. To the expression of such public opinion contained in the Bill we desire to offer no opposition.
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