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per cent. increase\ in all classes of cars last year over 1926, there had been an actual decrease of 14 in the number of motor accidents reported. Many Foreign Cars. 'This condition of affairs, together with the abnormal increase last year in foreign cars on Ontario roads, should, he submitted, be taken into consider-- ation by all unprejudiced persons when considering the liquor law and condi-- tions arising out of it. _ Opposition members let the Attorney-- General pretty well alone. There was only one semblance of a "flurry'" when R. H. Miller, Liberal member for Haldi-- mand, asked the Speaker if Col. Price's references, at the moment, had any-- thing to do with the subject in hand. The Attorney--General's reply was flattening. "I agree," he said, "with what the Prime Minister said the othem day, that there are great many stupid people in this world." Situation Since 1916. Col. Price discussed at length the question of liquor consumption in On-- tario, tracing the situation in this re-- gard down from the inception of the (l)sx;tario Temperance Act to 1925 and 6. «"'Considering the fact," said the At--| torney--General, "that the board had ; to open its business--with--almost an en-- ; tirely green staff, very few of whom had had anything to do with the sale of liquors, or knew the different brands, it is a cause of congratulation that the stores got under way so quickly and ad-- vantageously." Mag is C In connection with the establishment of brewery warehouses, which today "are in reality beer stores, in which four breweries consent to operate collective-- ly," he noted that the number in oper-- ation had advanced from 18 in June last to 25 in October, or a total of 75, with five others located just outside the Province receiving licenses and ex-- porting to Ontario. The enormity of handling beer or-- ders at these warchouses could _ be visualized, Col. Price stated, when it is announced that more than 1,000,000 purchase orders were filled at various times during the five months of oper-- ation. In defense of the liquor con-- trol system he said: "Probably at no time in the history of any country has a system been set up which is so complete, which ministers to the re-- quirements of those who purchase at the stores, protects the public generally, and keeps such a record as will enable an adequate control to be established." "Permits and Licenses." Permits issued Hesident ....... Temporary ..... Duplicate ...... Physicians ..... ODruggists ...... Dentists and v{ SCOns ......} «.1 6.1}s1«ss Manufacturers .......1l... Mechanicalsand scientific . Sacramental wine ........ Tlosnitals .............:.s Under the head of "Permits and Li-- censes" Col. Price gave the House the following board figures: Licenses issued for same nrewers' licenses ......... Brewers' warehouses ...... Native wine permits ....... Sacramental wine vendorships Non--potable alcohol ......... CGhmcdant hotel ..:.......... Brewers' light beer permits .... Brewers' light beer warehouse Hotel light beer permits ....... Restaurant light beer permits .. Shop light beer permits ...... Club light beer permits ...... Steamship light beer permits ... Employees light beer permits ... EOME 2. i« i1141 hara'ssrxs1rrk'® 1 (Cotal .... ... ted "rotal .... .. css ... rotak ....... Grand total licenses ....... veterinary June --~Oct. 31, 1927: sur .. 281,889 poeriod: 220,446 53,890 5,041 815 571 1,258 1,266 1,102 541 519 84 634 2,995 4,973 11 217 221 423 254 36 676 7(12 26 86 "When," he said, "this law came into force the Liquor Control Board thought it would be advisable to put every citizen on an equal basis. The policy of the Government as announced to the electorate was to give people an opportunity to purchase reasonable supplies of liquor without subterfuge. In other words. they were getting a new charter of liberty. If they lived up to their responsibilitiecs and their oblig-- ations, then they nceed fear nothing. Under these cireumstances the board thought it advisable to start with a clean slate. "They knew quite well that many men had broken the law under the Ontario Temperance Act, yet they felt that a great number of these men who had broken the law would abide by the present act if they were given an opportunity to do so. It was difficult for them to discriminate. Under these cirecumstances every man was issued a permit, whether he had broken the Ontario Temperance Act or not. Every hotelkeeper was given a new lease of liberty. In other words, the policy of the board was to put it up to the in-- dividual,. If he was prepared to obey the law from now on, the board were prepared to give him a chante. I think you will agree with me that this, while creating cortain _ difficulties for the board, which I will speak about as I go on, was the proper attitude of mind. "The result was that every one se-- cured a permit. In the early days, when very few stores were opened and the vendors were new at the job, the con-- sors found it difficult to adequately serve customers and at the same time give the proper supervision. No doubt certain persons did proceed to impose on the various vendors and inspectors. When one thinks, however, that there were over 700 people in the Province of Ontario issuing permits in the vari-- ous localities and crowded cities, and the act came into force as well as it did, I think the whole people of the !Prov'ince are to be congratulated on | what occurred. »CTRULOL . E CAUUILCLSL Ch k m c'm'y | ec ® After disclosing to the House what , "The honorable member for Westi e Liquor Board has done in a fi-- 'mradlesex pointed out that in some | incial way--and these disclosures AP-- cases three or four people have secured . ar elsewhere in this issue of -- The 4 ' too much liquor on their permits; too lobe--the Attorney--General passed to many cases of beer within a certain hat he termed the "control features" time. The board have been grappling "the act'; with this problem; they have been tell-- When," he said, "this law came ing their vendors and their brewery in-- to force the Liquor Control Board spectors that they must more closely ought it would be advisable to put check these up. There is no excuse for ery citizen on an equal basis. The allowing men who are obviously re-- licy of the Government as announced selling to get such large quantities of the electorate was to give people an liquor and beer on their permits. The portunity to purchase reasonable position of the Government on this mati-- ipplies of liquor without subterfuge. | ter is that there is no excuse for a ven-- i other words. they were getting a new | dor not doing his job. Ninety--nine per rarter of liberty. If they lived up to |cent. of the vendors have done weil, eir responsibilities and their oblig-- | but where there is a vendor who thinks tions, then they need fear nothing. that it is his duty to sell and make bis nder these circumstances the board Sales without controlling he will find ought it advisable to start with a himself in some other job. Neither the ean slate. board nor the Goverrment intend to "They knew quite well that many back up any vendor who does not seem en had broken the law under the to appreciate that this is a "control ntario Temperance Act, yet they felt law. and not a 'sales law. There is ad broken the law would abide by Can say on that point that is stronger me present act if they were given an than what the Government itself says. pportunity to do so. It was difficult "HMedging In" of Purchases. of Ontario issuing permits in the vari--| "Now," said Col. Price, "if the past ous localities and crowded cities, and | ten years has produced a normal appe-- the act came into force as well as it |tite on the part of the people there did, I think the whole people of the lwould have been more beer and wine Province are to be congratulated on | drinking and less spirit drinking. There what occurred. | would have been no disposition to reach "There was, no doubt, the disposition | out for canned heat, lemon extract and of a grcat many people to try to | all these things. But the result is today create difficulties for the act, point-- |you have addicts to the use of canned ing out all its defects. People who heat and lemon extract," confirmed ad-- could see no defects in the O.T.A. im-- dicts for a number of yvears, people who mediately saw plenty of defects in the do not want to drink anything else, the operation of this act, and voiced their same as you have the cocaine addict, the opinions through the press and other--. morphia --addict, etc. a wise.i The board, however, kept alone _ "If you are, therefore, going to wean scrutinizing more closely every day, ;, 3 ikin & through its vendors, those who secured tggi:%clz;gge t?,w%fie"&'?nfifigkffig st)ihv? liquor on their permits, checking them | {pnin for less harmful éhfi down carefully, yet not miserably, until| ; € titi th ou they have got a very close grasp of the Tust" -- exerome _ . 30 C ooowe * s a must exercise your powers situation. The first permi{its wer e ugsion wet permils were issued | pragually and carefully. It Will for five months with the idea that| not do for us to say to these poor vic-- they could run coterminously with the | tims: <¥ou can have nothing to drink fiscal year, and with the further ide@| pecause you abuse it' We must exercise that at the end of five months it would| tnis a{uthority carefully." enabl.e the vendor in cach store to Col. Price, in speaking on the matter :(l;eck_ ux? the amounts that his cus--| of law enforcement by the Provincial mers were receiving. |! and municipal police forces, said that Power of Vendor. | all municipalities l'lafil been -- advised '"'The vendor, as you know, has power to refuse to give liquor on a permit if he sees that the customer has been receiving too much. The vendor has a greater power by suggestion and dis-- cussion and warning. Vendors are now better trained than thoy ever were before and they are exercising these powers. . '"To the general public throughout | the Province I can say this: that they' exercised a very great deal of moder-- | ation. Those who had been breaking the act, who were engaged in the hotel business before, or who had been boot-- legging before, in many casos lived ; right up to the act, and lived up to ; their obligations. In some places, how--| ever, they started to get larger amounts | on their permits and break the act. I "At the time the new permits were issued, 1,500 people had their permits cancelled, and the vendor at that time, when issuing new permits, warned many people that their permits would be cancelled unless they cut down the amount they were getting. A\\e Scl%q, \'c',\o * 5 x Col. Price enumerated the different "check--ups" avfiilable under the board's administraticn to prove that the Government had meant business when it had promised the people that con-- trol would be exercised over the sale of liquor. He felt that now there was a "hedging in" at every turn of the dis-- position of some people to get excessive quantitiese of liquor. _ "Some people," he said, "have state. that the amounts obtainable by every person should be put on a similar basis. I think the House will see this was discussed quite fully when the act was before the House last session and that this is a matter for the board to gradually regulate." j T s n en o o © People in Ontario, he declared, had lived under the Ontario Temperance Act for ten years. They had purchased probably one--sixth or one--seventh of their liquor through legitimate chan~ nels. They had turned to the boot-- legger to drink all kinds of spirituous concoctions. > -- 0.: . s available for the enforcement of the On-- tario Temperance Act. Magistrates have more complete evidence placed before them to establish a case; they have ns fear of injustice in giving a jail sen-- terce, and where a man is selling, not only the courts, but the public feel that he is committing a misdemeanor, and he should pay the penalty." Col. Price, in speaking on the matter of law enforcement by the Provincial and municipal police forces, said that all municipalities had been advised that the Provincial force can serve only as an "assisting force," and that the primary responsibility of enforcing the act rests with the municipalities themselves In spite of the fact that the LCA was a stiffer law than the O.T.A.. and provided for more . jail sentences, with 1 possible consequent loss in revenue to the municipalities, most municipalities, he said, had done very well in carrying out enforcement. j Public opinion was now behind the aw. "The law enforcement officers of the Crown," he said, "have found that the public are now anxious and willing to put the bootlegger out of business. I may say, generally speaking, that this has been accomplished. Our police offi-- cers and inspectors can get informa-- tion now from citizens that was not these people away from drinking t hes concoctions to the Gdrinking of soi.ne-- thing for less harmful -- anu: in proper quantitiee, then . you must exercise your powers gradually and carefully. It will not do for us to say to these poor vic-- tims: 'You can have nothing to drink because you abuse it.' We must exercise this authority carefully." i s