CHAPTER XIII HOW CANADA HAS SOLVED THE LIQUOR PROBLEM

 Sing a Song of Montreal,

A barrel full of rye;

Four-and-twenty Yankees

Feeling rather dry;

When the barrel was opened

They all began to sing,

“Oh, to hell with Mr. Volstead—

And God save the King!”

THE Dominion¹ of Canada has solved its liquor problem, for the most part. It is interesting to note that in those Provinces which are technically² dry, a wretched state of things exists, as in the United States; and those Provinces which have government control are well ordered. For instance, Nova Scotia has absolute Prohibition³. I went there in May and June, 1922, and, as in the States, I never lacked for a drink when I desired one. Practically every chemist is a bootlegger.

 

To show you how badly the system works, let me tell of a personal experience. I found myself one week-end in a little village which shall be nameless. I inquired of the inn-keeper if it would be possible to obtain a bottle of whiskey. “Certainly,” he said. “Simply go to the drug-store, tell him you are a151 guest of mine, and I think you will have no difficulty in getting a good brand.”

I was surprised, to say the least. It chanced to be a Sunday morning. The church bells were ringing, and as I got to the door of the shop, the druggist was just leaving it—he lived above it, I believe—for morning service. I told him my errand; and immediately, without the slightest hesitation⁴, he opened the door, took me in, and sold me what I wished. He hadn’t the slightest idea who I was; yet perhaps it was evident that I was an American traveler. No questions were asked, and openly I carried my bottle through the streets back to the inn.

In New Brunswick I obtained ale openly in a hotel; and the waitress told me that almost on every other corner of the city in which I was stopping, a bootlegger could be found; and if I made my wishes known there would be no difficulty in purchasing anything I wanted. As it happened, I wished nothing there; but it was good to know that it could have been bought any time of the day or evening.

But in the Province of Quebec and in British Columbia quite another state of affairs will be found. The Government controls the liquor trade, and guarantees the quality of the alcohol sold. Neat little Government Liquor Stores, as they are called, are in every city and town, and a vendor⁵ has charge of each one—a regular Government employee who is “responsible for the carrying-out of the Government Liquor Act and the regulations so far as they152 relate to the conduct of the store and the sale of liquor thereat.”

Everything is done in a most orderly and systematic⁶ way. If one wishes to purchase whiskey, he merely applies to the vendor in his neighborhood. A small fee is charged; and it is a gratification to know that this fee goes directly to one’s Government, and not into the pockets of bootleggers. Supplies are delivered in sealed packages, duly inscribed⁷; and again it is a gratification to know that one is in no danger of drinking poison, with the added fear of death or blindness.

There are restrictions—a great many, indeed; but they are wise and for the best interests of the Province. For instance, it is against the law to drink in the Government stores; but one may, of course, in an inn have a supply of liquor in one’s room, or drink light wines and beer in the public dining-room. Drunkenness is taboo⁸, and one sees very little of it. The people are prosperous, and everyone is as happy as one can be in this troubled world. Canada had enormous war debts. I was told that British Columbia had paid her quota⁹, and in addition had made many improvements of public highways—all through the revenue derived¹⁰ from the Government’s sale of liquor.

In British Columbia, great care is exercised that no spurious permits are received at the stores. The law provides that “no permit shall be delivered to the applicant¹¹ until he has, in the presence of the153 Vendor or official to whom the application is made, written his signature thereon in the manner prescribed, for purposes of his identification as the holder¹² thereof, and the signature has been attested¹³ by the Vendor or official under his hand.”

Permits are not issued to corporations, associations, societies or partnerships¹⁴. Therefore the opportunities for fraud are diminished. And on polling days all the stores are closed. In pre-Volstead times in the United States the law distinctly said that our saloons should remain closed on Election Day in many of the big cities; yet was this regulation—a very wise one—ever enforced? That is one reason why we have Prohibition today—we simply would not obey even those moderate and salutary laws enacted¹⁵ for the welfare of the community. The saloon-keeper paid not the slightest heed¹⁶ to them; in fact, he scoffed¹⁷ at them; and that is why he has no sympathy from the rest of us, now that his foul¹⁸ places are gone forever.

One would not be so foolish as to assert that a state of perfection has been reached in the Government-controlled Provinces. Bootlegging goes on—but principally because this country is dry. If the States were also under Government control in the matter of the liquor traffic, there would be no temptation to transport stuff illicitly¹⁹ over the border. I imagine that the Canadians are quite as guilty as the Americans when it comes to these secret transactions; for if it takes two to make a quarrel, it is154 equally true that it takes two to consummate²⁰ a sale of any kind. There would be a cleaner slate²¹ if we had the common sense to do as, say, Quebec has done. There are no swinging-door saloons; but there are tidy shops where one is not ashamed to go. No one is drinking on the sly, pretending to be consuming coffee out of a cup which really contains a high-ball. “In vino demi-tasse” is not the motto of Canada, as it is that of the United States.

It is significant to note that in British Columbia, when that Province was completely dry—even without beer—141,057 prescriptions²² for liquor were issued; yet in the fiscal²³ year which ended March 31, 1922, only 6,568 prescriptions were issued.

And while our own Government continues to ask for mighty²⁴ appropriations²⁵ for the enforcement of Prohibition, the reports from the Province of Quebec state that for the fiscal year ending in June, 1922, a profit of $4,000,000 was realized, and that the regulations have proved quite as successful morally as financially.

Can we say that, in the matter of morals, the Volstead Act has worked advantageously? It has undermined the whole country; and under fanaticism²⁶, we have shown ourselves to be a total failure. The New York World says:

“The Quebec law is a good law because it has city and country solidly behind it and it can be enforced. It provides for local option, it restricts the purchase of spirits, it allows the sale of wine and beer in cafés and it creates no155 enforcement problem. It affects every legitimate²⁷ reform advocated by the professional Prohibitionists of the United States, but quietly, sensibly, profitably and without friction²⁸.”

If we could but come to the sanity²⁹ of Canada, in her Government-controlled Provinces!

1 dominion   

n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图

参考例句：

• Alexander held dominion over a vast area.亚历山大曾统治过辽阔的地域。
• In the affluent society,the authorities are hardly forced to justify their dominion.在富裕社会里，当局几乎无需证明其统治之合理。

2 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

3 prohibition   

n.禁止；禁令，禁律

参考例句：

• The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
• They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。

4 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

5 vendor   

n.卖主；小贩

参考例句：

• She looked at the vendor who cheated her the other day with distaste.她厌恶地望着那个前几天曾经欺骗过她的小贩。
• He must inform the vendor immediately.他必须立即通知卖方。

6 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

7 inscribed   

v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接

参考例句：

• His name was inscribed on the trophy. 他的名字刻在奖杯上。
• The names of the dead were inscribed on the wall. 死者的名字被刻在墙上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 taboo   

n.禁忌，禁止接近，禁止使用；adj.禁忌的；v.禁忌，禁制，禁止

参考例句：

• The rude words are taboo in ordinary conversation.这些粗野的字眼在日常谈话中是禁忌的。
• Is there a taboo against sex before marriage in your society?在你们的社会里，婚前的性行为犯禁吗？

9 quota   

n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额

参考例句：

• A restricted import quota was set for meat products.肉类产品设定了进口配额。
• He overfulfilled his production quota for two months running.他一连两个月超额完成生产指标。

10 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 applicant   

n.申请人，求职者，请求者

参考例句：

• He was the hundredth applicant for the job. 他是第100个申请这项工作的人。
• In my estimation, the applicant is well qualified for this job. 据我看, 这位应征者完全具备这项工作的条件。

12 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

13 attested   

adj.经检验证明无病的，经检验证明无菌的v.证明( attest的过去式和过去分词 )；证实；声称…属实；使宣誓

参考例句：

• The handwriting expert attested to the genuineness of the signature. 笔迹专家作证该签名无讹。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Witnesses attested his account. 几名证人都证实了他的陈述是真实的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

15 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

16 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

17 scoffed   

嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scoffed at our amateurish attempts. 他对我们不在行的尝试嗤之以鼻。
• A hundred years ago people scoffed at the idea. 一百年前人们曾嘲笑过这种想法。

18 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

19 illicitly   

违法地，不正地

参考例句：

• That substance illicitly to fool quality-inspection testers because it can mimic the properties of protein. 乳制品之所以添加三聚氰胺是因为它可以虚增蛋白质含量、在质量测试中蒙混过关。
• Western governments international bodies should police Gaza's borders and crossing-points to stop weapons illicitly coming in. 西方政府和国际组织应该巡查加沙边界和交叉区域，阻止武器的非法流入。

20 consummate   

adj.完美的；v.成婚；使完美 [反]baffle

参考例句：

• The restored jade burial suit fully reveals the consummate skill of the labouring people of ancient China.复原后的金缕玉衣充分显示出中国古代劳动人民的精湛工艺。
• The actor's acting is consummate and he is loved by the audience.这位演员技艺精湛，深受观众喜爱。

21 slate   

n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订

参考例句：

• The nominating committee laid its slate before the board.提名委员会把候选人名单提交全体委员会讨论。
• What kind of job uses stained wood and slate? 什么工作会接触木头污浊和石板呢？

22 prescriptions   

药( prescription的名词复数 )； 处方； 开处方； 计划

参考例句：

• The hospital of traditional Chinese medicine installed a computer to fill prescriptions. 中医医院装上了电子计算机来抓药。
• Her main job was filling the doctor's prescriptions. 她的主要工作就是给大夫开的药方配药。

23 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

24 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

25 appropriations   

n.挪用（appropriation的复数形式）

参考例句：

• More commonly, funding controls are imposed in the annual appropriations process. 更普遍的作法是，拨款控制被规定在年度拨款手续中。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Should the president veto the appropriations bill, it goes back to Congress. 假如总统否决了这项拨款提案，就把它退还给国会。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

26 fanaticism   

n.狂热，盲信

参考例句：

• Your fanaticism followed the girl is wrong. 你对那个女孩的狂热是错误的。
• All of Goebbels's speeches sounded the note of stereotyped fanaticism. 戈培尔的演讲，千篇一律，无非狂热二字。

27 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

28 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

29 sanity   

n.心智健全，神智正常，判断正确

参考例句：

• I doubt the sanity of such a plan.我怀疑这个计划是否明智。
• She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。