The Case for Municipal Drink Trade. By Edward R. Pease.
(P. S. King and Co. 2s. 6d.)—Mr. Pease is a shrewd person, who. sees things as they are, and puts what he sees into words with much simplicity and directness. He gives the five possible courses. (1) Free-trade—any one may have a license for a small fee ; (2) private monopoly—our own system ; (8) high license— a license to any one who will pay for it the large sum that it is really worth ; (4) local veto or prohibition ; (5) State or public management. No one advocates (1) ; (8) means money —New York State in 1899 realised, for a population of seven millions, £2,329,791, while the United Kingdom, for forty-one millions, realised .81,755,675—but it does not mean increased temperance ; (4) is really out of court ; the " man in the street " will not have it; so, Mr. Pease thinks, we are practically reduced to (5), though it is easy to see that he has a certain liking for (3). " Were high license a plank in any recognised political platform we should regard it with considerable respect." This is not the place for discussing the problem. Our present office is fulfilled when we say that Mr. Pease is a very able champion of the cause which he takes up.
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