Temperance in Canada

A ghost walked last week along the northern frontier of the U.S. In Canada, which more than once in World War II has been a proving ground for measures later introduced by Washington.* Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King took steps to cut down drinking. He announced sharp reductions in the alcoholic content of beer and liquors--beer by 10%, wine by 20%, spirits by 30%. He also forbade all advertising of beer and liquors after a six weeks' adjustment period, asked for shorter selling hours in liquor stores.

Mackenzie King's temperance edict--issued under his emergency war powers--was ordered in the name of total war (he talked of savings in manpower efficiency and scarce newsprint). But he also complained that Canadian thirst had increased since the war began: pre-war consumption of spirits had risen from 3,500,000 gallons yearly to almost 5,000,000; wine consumption had increased by nearly 1,000,000 gallons.

* Examples: gas rationing, price control, wage stabilization. Contrarywise, Canada last week followed a U.S. example, upped soldiers' pay, increased soldiers' dependency allowances to world's highest ($59.50 per month for wife of a childless private, as against $50 in the U.S.).

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