Wet & Wetter

In flat and fertile Ontario and along the fish-flanked coast of Nova Scotia, voters were confronted with liquorish problems last week. Ontario's problem was whether or not to retain the Conservative Government of Premier George Howard Ferguson and in particular his beloved L. C. A. (Liquor Control Act) under which government liquor stores dole out their wares to the relief of the citizenry, to an annual profit of some $20,000,000 for the Provincial Treasury. Canadian Drys, Ontario Liberals and Progressives cried out against "Conservative wetness and corruption." Premier Ferguson pleaded chiefly, and successfully, for his L. C. A.

"In the United States," he cried, "the only place where you cannot expect to find booze is in a church basement."*

Ontarians voted, returned Premier Ferguson and the liquor stores in a Conservative landslide.

In Nova Scotia, Premier Edgar Nelson Rhodes posed two liquorish problems: No. 1: Are you in favor of the retention of the Nova Scotia Temperance Act? No. 2: Are you in favor of the sale of liquor/- under government control?

Thousands of logical Nova Scotians answered only one question, evidently felt that in so doing they had answered the other by implication. Despite all confusion, results showed a clear Wet majority on both questions. In beaming anticipation of liquor-tax funds for his treasury. Premier Rhodes exulted:

"It is a source of great satisfaction to feel that . . . this admittedly difficult problem has been removed from the field of party politics."

With Nova Scotia gone Wet, Ontario confirmed in wetness, the little province of Prince Edward Island with a population less than Yonkers, N. Y., is the only part of Canada which has not cast off prohibition. U. S. Wets could not forbear to gloat last week. Cried President Henry H. Curran of the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment:

"Only Finland, Prince Edward Island and the United States are left groping in the dark of attempted prohibition of the use of God's gifts.

"Will the United States be the next to jettison this unfortunate fancy? Will it be Prince Edward Island, or will it be Finland?" (see p. 29).

*Citizens may still expect to find sacramental wines in the basement of most Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches, Jewish synagogs. /- Native wines and 75% Beer