A comprehensive licensing law came into force on Jan. I, 1913, with "off" and "on" provisions for sale of spirits, wines and beers containing more than 2.25% of alcohol. Licensing boards with large discretionary powers were created for each municipality and an important Licensing Act of 1925 fixes the maximum number of licences at the number of licensed premises in existence on Jan. I, 1924, gives local option with respect to new licences and allows the local authorities to restrict their issue to a public utility company on the Gothenburg principle.
Iceland voted to adopt national prohibition on Sept. 1o, 1908, 4,645 for to 3,181 against. Under this law importation of intoxicating liquors into Iceland ceased Jan. 1, 1912 and the manufacture and sale of liquor containing more than 2.25% of alcohol with limited exceptions for medicinal and industrial use ceased Jan. I, 1915. In 1922-23 some relaxation of this prohibi tion with respect to imported wines was enacted on pressure from Spain. A referendum on prohibition in Iceland (Nov. 13, 1933) resulted in ii,000 for its retention to 15,000 against.
Liquor legislation has followed until recently pretty closely that of the United States. Licensing, modified by local veto, prevailed for a long time throughout the Dominion except in the Indian settlements. The several provinces had their own laws which varied in stringency. In 1875 a Federal law, the Can ada Temperance Act (the Scott Act) made possible the prohibi tion of licensed houses by vote. As early as 1898 efforts were made to get national prohibition and in that year an act was passed providing for a general plebiscite which resulted in 278,38o votes being cast for and 264,693 against prohibition, a majority of 13,687 for prohibition, which the Government decided was not large enough in a total vote of only 500,000 in a population of 5,500,000 to determine the question. There resulted a constitu tional dispute which was settled in 19o1 by decision of the Privy Council that the provinces had complete control of the retail trade in liquor and the Dominion of manufacture and importa tion. Then followed, under the local option provisions of the Scott Act, until the outbreak of the World War, a rapid growth of provincial prohibition. Practically all the provinces tried the experiment though the various Provincial Acts did not entirely stop the consumption of liquor because they could not prohibit manufacture in one province for export into another. Only the
Dominion could do that and it was done by an Order in Council in March 1918 (in force April 1, 1918, until Dec. 31, 1919) which prohibited importation into any province which had adopted
hibition, as well as the manufacture of alcoholic liquors therein.
In May 1916 a Federal act (6-7 Geo. V., ch. 19), analogous to the Wilson and Webb-Kenyon Acts in the United States, pro hibited transportation and delivery of intoxicating liquor or sale for transportation into a province in violation of the law of the province; this was amended (1919) to include manufacture for illegal sale but the Canada Temperance Act was amended at the same time by 1 o Geo. V. ch. 9 to prohibit importation and manu facture for illegal importation in any province by Order in Coun cil of ter an approving referendum has been taken by the Dominion Government at the request of the provincial legislature. From Feb. 1, 1921 to May 21, 1923 seven of the nine provinces decided by referendums to prohibit importation. Under a later amendment exportation from a province could be simply prohibited by Order in Council and this was invoked by four provinces, but neither measure without a real Federal prohibition law proved entirely satisfactory. All of the Canadian provinces (Quebec for sale of spirits only) tried some form of "State-wide" Prohibition.
Beginning with Quebec in 1921 all the provinces, except Prince Edward Island, have adopted liquor control acts to be enforced by a Liquor Control Commission in each province. The systems vary in details but all include some form of controlled sale through government stores, local option to permit sales, prohi bition of private sale or importation of spirits which may be bought only at Government liquor stores. Some provinces require permits and limit liquor purchases. All seek to eliminate private profit in retail sales of spirits, and with minor exceptions, in
tail sales of wine. Provincial monopoly applies only to retail sale and not to manufacture. The wholesale trade of brewers, dis tillers and wineries is chiefly with the liquor commissions, and regulated by them. Liquor advertising may also be controlled by the Commissions.