LIQUOR LEGISLATION. The exces sive use of intoxicating liquors has been, in all ages of human history down to our own times, a serious problem for those charged with the government of tribes or nations. For thou sands of years legislators have endeavored with more or less success to control the use of and traffic in drink. The early Mosaic law givers attempted to repress drunkenness, and over 2,000 years a.c. King Hammurabi of Baby Ion ordained that a wine-seller who permitted riotous persons to assemble on his premises should be put to death. There seems to be no example of a people, however primitive or civ ilized, without drink or drugs of some kind, whether wine, beer, spirits, opium, hashish, hemp, betel nut, tobacco, coffee, kava, etc. With the growth of population and expansion of communities into great states during the last two centuries there has arisen an elaborate code of laws in most countries to restrict and control the liquor traffic. Despite the ever increasing burden of taxation laid upon intoxi cating drinks, their sale and consumption rose steadily. In the United States, the first laws aiming at prohibition of the manufacture and sale of liquors date back to 1838 (Tennessee) and 1846 (Maine). For many years a strenu ous campaign raged between the "wet" and "dry" partisans, the one side claiming an in alienable right of the people to decide for themselves what they shall drink and the other pointing- to the social and economic evils pro duced through drink.
The entry of the United States into the Eu ropean War was destined to produce the most revolutionary changes in liquor legislation re corded in American history. Up to that time the liquor laws differed considerably in the 48 States of the Union, each of which exercised its own police laws within its borders. In some States "local option' prevailed, by which popu lar vote decided whether liquor should be sold in prescribed districts; other States were "dry,' "bone-dry" or "wet." Persons desiring to deal in liquors required a license from the State authorities, for which an annual fee (in some cases as high as $1,500) was charged. Pros pective dealers were generally required to pro duce credentials of good character; in some cases written consent of the neighboring resi dents was necessary, while in others certain re strictions were imposed as to distances from churches, schools and similar institutions, Sun day and Election Day closing, etc.
On 1 Jan. 1917 prohibition was in force in 19 States; on 1 July, when the Reed Amend ment came into effect, there were 23 "bone dry' States. That Amendment, introduced by Senator Reed of Missouri, imposed a fine of $1,000 or imprisonment for six months or both on "who shall order, purchase, or cause intoxi cating liquors to be transported in interstate commerce except for scientific, sacramental, medicinal, or mechanical purposes into any State or Territory the laws of which . . .
prohibit the manufacture or sale therein of in toxicating liquors for beverage purposes.' The same penalties were prescribed for violators of the anti-advertising section. This measure was followed by the Food Control Act, under the provisions of which the distillation of alcoholic beverages from grain and other foodstuffs, fruits included, was prohibited for the duration of the war as from 11 P.M. on 8 Sept. 1917. On 21 Nov. 1918 President Wilson signed the Food Stimulation Bill, providing for nation wide prohibition from 30 June 1919 until the demobilization of the army. See PROMBMON.
In Great Britain the liquor laws are strict and complicated. For nearly 400 years suc cessive Parliaments have struggled with the drink problem, though prohibition has never been seriously contemplated. Beer is the prin cipal beverage; the per capita consumption in 1913 was 26.2 gallons, as against 20.62 for the United States and 22.0 for Germany. The per capita consumption of spirits is about half that of the United States. Licenses are distin guished as "fulls or "on' license, "off" license (not to be consumed on the premises of sale) and "ale and beer license." In pre-war times the closing hours for public-houses (strictly enforced) were 12.30 A.M. and midnight on Saturday in London; 11 p.14. in the provinces. On Sundays (in England and Wales) opening hours were from 1 to 3 P.M. and 6 to II P.M. In Scotland allpublic-houses are closed Sun days. Since 1905 there has been in operation a government scheme of reducing licensed prem ises, the owners being compensated from a fund created out of the revenue. During the 11 years 1905-15 a total of 0,326,589 ($46,632, 945) was paid in compensation for 10,146 ex tinguished licenses, an average of roughly $4,596 each. For nearly 20 years attempts have been made in Great Britain to bring public houses under public management by means of Public-House Trust Companies, with the ob ject of eliminating as far as possible the ele ment of private profit from the retail sale of drink. The manager who is put into the house receives a fixed salary and is allowed no profit whatever on the sale of alcoholic drinks. This movement, originated by the bishop of Chester and the late Earl Grey, now operates over 300 houses on this plan. During the war a number of restrictions were laid upon the drink trade; hours were curtailed, "treating' prohibited and numerous licensed places were closed by naval and military authority. Advisory committees were appointed by government to consider the question of the State purchase of the licensed liquor trade. The proposal was not consid ered practicable. In January 1919 some of the regulations were relaxed and government sanc tioned the, brewing of 25 per cent more beer and of a better quality than the standard to which it had deteriorated owing to war condi tions.