The Campaign of the Drink Trade

SIGNS are not lacking in various parts of the country that the Drink Trade is about to launch an offensive right along the line against the cause of Temperance, and it is incumbent upon all Unionists, who resent the sinister influence of the Drink Trade on their party, to be prepared. The Trade appear to be concentrating their efforts in two directions. Firstly they are vigorously pressing for it is incumbent upon all Unionists, who resent the sinister influence of the Drink Trade on their party, to be prepared. The Trade appear to be concentrating their efforts in two directions. Firstly they are vigorously pressing for an extension of hours and a removal of restrictions, both in the case- of licensed houses and of clubs. Secondly, their agents are trying to work up Unionist feeling against the Carlisle experiment. It is common knowledge that the Trade are asking Parliamentary candidates to promise their support on behalf of the removal of restrictions, and we regret to say they are not without friends in high quarters in the Unionist Party. The Trade's efforts are being directed with skill, and the feelings of Unionists who dislike State control are being worked upon. Last week a well-informed correspondent wrote to us that the Unionist Associations iri the Carlisle district were being invited to pass resolutions for the abolition of the Carlisle experiment. This attempt may meet with a certain measure of success, for some Unionists would gladly see its discontinuance because it is a State-controlled enter- prise. Forward-looking persons in the ranks of the Unionist Party must make it plain that they will not tolerate increased drinking facilities. Fortunately, fore- warned is forearmed, but it is well not to under-estimate the forces at work. Sir William Joynson-Hicks, the present Home Secretary, is a lifelong advocate of tem- perance reform, and we are sure that he will never be a party to giving increased drinking facilities unless his hand is forced.

The Home Secretary has powerful influences arrayed against him, and it is for Unionist opinion throughout the country to make itself heard.- Not even the most rabid opponents of the Carlisle experiment, within the ranks of the Trade, can deny that it has been a success. It is on the Unionist instinctive dislike to public control that the Trade are placing their hopes. As the Observer reminds us, the Southborough Committee, which no one can regard as consisting of hot-headed temperance reformers, spoke perfectly clearly on the subject of Carlisle. The Commission held that among the estab- lished results were, " the development of an improved type of public-house in which the business of the sale of intoxicating liquor is conducted under improved condi- tions and in circumstances which are free from many of the objections made against the ordinary public-house as it exists to-day."

- Carlisle is one of the bright spots on the "drink horizon" in Great Biitain. It is a great social experiment and shows what disinterested management can achieve, and it is for disintereSted management that the Spectator has worked for many years. Some years ago, Mr. St Loe Strachey, the late editor of the Spectator, said that the Unionist Party would be enormously benefited by shaking itself free frobai the Trade influence. " Nothing injures them [the members of the Unionist Party]," he wrote, " more than their connexion - and alleged willing connexion with the Trade. The Trade . . are almost compelled in self- defence to injure our political -life by obtaining a cynical and secret influence over our political parties. It is the Unionist Party they are influencing to-day."

Unfortunately their influence over the Unionist Party is as strong as ever.. We should like to make our position clear. 'We are not Prohibitionists. We do not think that-Prohibition is a desirable policy for Great Britain. - We think that Carlisle and the various Trust House companies, which are doing such excellent work through- out the country, are showing the way.

During the past summer, the present writer had the opportunity of studying drink legislation in Scandinavia and Northern Europe. Great Britain can learn from both Sweden and Norway. In Norway the drink trade is vested in the Vinmonopol, a private concern, which by its charter is permitted to pay only 6 per cent. to its share- holders. In Sweden the success of the Swedish and Bratt systems are widely acknowledged. In the latter country the Spritcentralen controls the entire manufacture, importation, and wholesale distribution of alcohol. It is a private concern to which the Government grants a monopoly; its profits are limited to 6 or 7 per cent., all additional profits going to the State. The evils of Prohibition are avoided while the drawbacks inherent in a privately owned drink trade are eliminated.

We have recently received some instructive figures from Sweden which enable us to judge the social effect of Swedish legislative measures against alcoholism. The comparison is between the year 1913, the last year of the old regime and the last year for which statistics are available. In thirteen years the consumption of spirits in Sweden has declined by 38 per cent :- III.—Arrests for Drunkenness, 1913 and 1926.

SWEDEN.

Number of Per 1,000

Convictions. Inhabitants. Index.

1913 58,909 .. 10.5 .. 100 1926

.. About 29,900 .. 5.0

48

STOCKHOLM.

Number of Per 1,000

Arrests. Inhabitants. Index.

1913 .. 17,696 .. 50.42 100 1926 .. 6,689 .. 1542 30

1V.—Convictions of Drunkenness (Females).

SWEDEN.

Number of Convictions.

Per 10,000 Females.

Index.

1913 1,786 .. 6.20 .. 100 1925 569 .. 1.85 .. 30

STOCKHOLM.

1913 .. 1,339 .. 63.6 .. 100 1925 .. 395 ..

16.3 ..

26

NT—Number of cases of chronic alcoholism, treated in the Hospital of Katarina, in. Stockholm, 1913 and 1926.

All the habitual drunkards, who, in regard to their surroundings, are in urgent need of being treated or interned, have been received here during the past thirty years.

Number of Per 10,000

Cases. Inhabitants. Index.

1913 .. 623 17.7 .. 100

1926 .. 171 3.9.. 22 IX.—Crimes of Violence officially reported, 1913 and 1924.

SWEDEN.

Number of Per 10,000

Cases. Inhabitants. Index.

1913 .. 3,106 5.54 100 1924 .. 1,776 • 2.96 53

Five years ago Lord Milner wrote :—" I am no Prohibitionist. On the other hand, our present system Seems to me wholly bad, and the via media so clear that I have great difficulty in understanding how it is not generally welcomed. Decent public-houses, not confined to the sale of strong drink, but genuine all-round places of refreshment, and not run far private prefit, seems tome the simple way out of the difficulties we arc in. And I do not believe for a moment that this great and obvious reform need cost either tax-payer or rate-payer one penny."

Lord Milner's views are as applicable to present conditions as' when they were written. Temperance reform in this country has been slower than it need have been owing to the divergent views of temperance reformers. We would appeal to Prohibitionists and other extreme temperance workers to stop " crying for the moon." Let .all who are not bigots unite together, and, by every. means in their power, insist on the principle of disinterested management.