THE STRENGTH OF BRITAIN-1 PRACTICAL PROPOSAL.
(To MB EDITOR OE THE 6' SPECTITOR.”3
Sia,—The Committee of the Strength of Britain Movement has been asked to make known its attitude to State Purchase and, as well, to disclose its own proposals. Writing not only on my own behalf, but as a member of the Committee, I wish to say that our programme is to get Prohibition during the war and demobilization, and we are prepared to give our most earnest consideration to any scheme that will carry this out. Our Com- mittee have no wish to be unfair to the " Trade," and they believe that the question can'be settled on a fair basis to every one and at the same time involve the State in no purchase. One method of doing this the Committee suggests as follows :-
OUTLINE OF PROPOSITIONS F02 DESLINO WITH THE ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR
QUESTION.
(1) If this question is to be settled definitely, it is evident that a scheme which commends itself to all parties should be forth- coming, and we believe that a scheme somewhat on the lines we herewith suggest could be developed in a practical business way and would be generally accepted.
(2) From inquiries made, we are of opinion that ti.e present total annual production of alcohol, if freed from all revenue restrictions, could be utilized for industrial purposes, and (het the breweries could be fully employed on the manufacture of light non-intoxicating beers. (a) Distilleries would therefore cease to manufacture alcohol, except such as may be required for indus- trial purposes (including munitions) and surgery and medico: uses. (b) Breweries would also cease to manufacture heavy bee:. but the brewing of light non-intoxicating beers containing ns: more than two per cent. of proof spirit to be allowed. (These, we understand, come under the Mineral Water Tax.)
(3) In our opinion there would be no necessity either to buy up or compensate the distilling and brewing interests, but in order to afford security to the present owners or shareholders, the Government might either guarantee interest to all the share- holders or owners of distilleries or breweries for a number of years, on the average of, say, three, four, or five pre-war yeare; or if the Government would allow the interest to come as a fir-t charge on any profits, before the revenue charges were made, it should answer the same purpose.
(4) We understand that many breweries are at present brewing a light non-intoxicating beer such as we suggest. We have seen a brewer who has perfected and protected a light beer of this description, and he assures us that, amongst their own customer;, he and those associated with him could dispose of twenty times the amount they are producing, and that, so far, it satisfies the-a who were in the habit of drinking the heavy beer. If this is so, it would mean that the breweries could be turned over to brewing the light beer without the loss and upheaval which might follow summary prohibition. We understand this light beer comes under a tax of almost ono hundred per cent. more than the heavy beer; therefore the Revenue would benefit accordingly supposing the tee remained on the same basis, and the margin for securing the interests of the shareholders and owners of distilleries nod
breweries would, in consequence, be larger. This light would, relatively, use up only twenty-five per cent. of the food- stuffs required for the manufacture of the present heavy beers.
(5) It is further suggested that chemical and other research should be undertaken on a large scale immediately, with the view of having alcohol used extensively for industrial purposes and .If cheapening its production, also with the view of producing the very best light non-intoxicating beer possible.
(6) After demobilization any locality or constituency cout-1 obtain the restoration of the old facilities by a majority voi 0. It is, however, our hope and expectation that the benefits accru- ing from prohibition of alcohol and heavy beers would be et) manifest that no locality would wish to go back to the old order of things.
An outline of these proposals has been put before the Prima Minister, and we earnestly press them for consideration as a means of settling the Drink question permanently and wit-e the goodwill of Temperance reformers, business men, and the "Trade" generally. The proposals, if adopted, would involve no State Purchase or no risk to the State of any kind unless hi a shortage of revenue, and those best qualified to judge assure He that even hero the State would lose nothing directly, while indirectly its efficiency would be vastly increased, and there would be a huge decrease in prisons, pauperism, lunacy, &c.-1 W. J. STEWART. am, Sir, &c.,
39 Fit john's Avenue, N.W. 3.
[We are much interested in this ingenious scheme, and hull that it is well worth the careful consideration of the Trade, the Government, and the public. The first point to be noted is that it is just to the Trade. It makes provision to prevent their ruin, should it prove too optimistic in regard to the use of spirit in industry, or the willingness of the public to drink light non- alcoholic ales. Without such a guarantee we could not have given it even a provisional support. text, it should be noted that though it makes Prohibition the rule, it allows Local Option. The majority of the voters in cities and districts are to be allowed to veto Prohibition in their areas if they so desire. That is a pro- position to which we most readily assent—provided that the State undertakes the provision of the facilities for the consumption of alcohol. We consider the elimination of private profit from the sale and manufacture of intoxicants to be absolutely essential to a sound settlement of the liquor problem. Finally, it is to be note d that the scheme does not prevent wine being sold or consumed. even in areas which have not put the Local Option provisions in operation. Though we must not be regarded as committed to the scheme, and think, indeed, that it goes beyond our policy, it is by na means tainted by the views of the extremists. ifeenwhilt., and this is by far the most important point to remember, it is essentially a post-war scheme, and has nothing to do with the immediate and war policy of the Strength of Britain Movement. That policy is for Prohibition pure and simple during the war and demobilization, and no one who joins it now is committed to any- thing but Prohibition as a war-winning, anti-famine proposal. We and they are out to beat the Germans and prevent our people being starved, and a patriotic brewer or distiller could perfectly well and without prejudice to his own views join the movement.— ED. Spectator.]
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