The first trial of Local Option in Scotland, under the
Temper- ance Act of 1913, was made on Tuesday and showed that the Scottish people are hostile to Prohibition and by no moans favourable to a reduction of a fourth in the number of licensed houses. In Glasgow twenty-four wards out of thirty-seven voted for "No Change," nine for fewer licences, and only four for Prohibition ; three of the four "no licence" wards are well-to-do suburbs, where the few licences are mostly held by grocers. One industrial district, Wititoinch, voted for Prohibition, and one, Parkhead, for fewer licences. But the poorest wards, whore public-houses, usually kept by Irish Roman Catholics, arc to be found in excessive numbers, showed overwhelming majorities for "No Change." The other large towns in Scotland rejected Prohibition oven more emphatically than Glasgow. Only a few small towns like Kirkintilloch, Kilsyth, Sanquhar, and Dornoch decided to dispense with public-houses for the next three years. The Temperance Act, it is clear, does not provide the true remedy for the abuses of the drink traffic in Scotland.
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