The Ontario Scrapbook Hansard

Ontario Scrapbook Hansard, 17 Apr 1919, p. 3

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| under Government control? _ Surely vote itself 'wet,' but only if the ma-- every person will have a clear view jority of the electors in the P on this question one way or the vince has voted 'yes' to questi 9. | other, If you do, vote Yes; if you The act provides that no by-'la\grnfs' ' don't, vote No. this proposition can be submitto(ll.' . "(3) Do you want light beer sold until after December, 1921 S9g in standard hotels? If you do, vote '"'The manner of S'ale in stan«; Yes; if you don't, vote No. hotels is again ieft to -regu]atq, """'11 "(4) Do you want spirituous and 2 the board. The hours of s llon by | malt liquors for consumption in the method of sale, Wheth'er Ovei'* e'. the: home sold under Government con-- or round table. Experience w'zu der trol? If so, vote Yes; if not, vote | termine what is best to be'd'on:\ 'l('lle-' No. y lboa(xid can deal by regulation '\&"--it)l(; i€ j separate and Distinct Questions. conditions that arise better than we y £ s Ican' now by statutory enactment ae-- Every question is separate and | cide what should be done. distinct; men may logically yote yes _ "Suggestions have been -- made, on some and no on others. Every _ | without number, on different points person must vote on every question, * as to licensing those entitled to buy and the full force of public opinion liquor, and of every conceivable Wln' therefore be expressed fo_r.und character. Many of them are un-- against each separate proposition. * _. workable, but it will be the duty '"'The ballot is so plain that when of the board to make such regula-- it has been read and studied no man tions from time to time as will elim-- or woman, no matter how uneducat-- inate as far as ])OSS")le and minim-- ed or unlearned, need make a mis-- ize evils that may arise. take. Some papers have criticized it on the ground that it may be con-- The Fourth Question. fusing, but the men who wrote the % o editorials manifestly had not taken Then with reference to the the trouble to read the questions: fourth question. Again, if the vote but I venture to say that there will is in the negative, nothing is re-- not be a voter in the land that will quired. Jf the vote is in the affirma-- not understand and appreciate the tive, section 12 provides what will questions before voting day comes. happen. Liquors may be sold by Remember, the vote will not take sales agencies, established by the place in a week or in six weeks, but License Commissioners, subject to in six months, and will be canvassed such regulations as the board, with and discussed in the press, on the the approval of the Lieutenant--Gov-- platform and in the pulpit. ernor in Council, may from time to "Recently in the State of Califor-- time prescribe. As I have explained, nia 47 separate propositions . were it is felt wise to leave the manner of submitted to the electors at tl)e sale, the hours, restrictions, the con-- same time. In any leading city in ditions of all kinds, subject to regu-- this Province on election day a voter. s lation rather than to attempt to set-- is handed a handful of ballots: b'al- tle these conditions now. It is im-- . lots for Mayor, ballots for (*'?"tl']Ol' | possible to foresee what abuses may lers,_ ba]]ot's"for C 9""';;":'] ; Da ac:'ts | arise, therefore impossible to say for School Trustees, ba OIT f{'.' ](;L o); 'the kind of regulations that may be by--laws, me.h."'"tm, ol a 7 m'. ; \ best intended to minimize these _ questions. Phe act the l\\10"" mn y ! abuses ve to perform in marking is nE nells bs g:llot is l;implinity itself compared |_ _ 'It will be noted that there is with the act the municipal voter 311(.)tlnng. inconsistent between _the has to perform every election day in | }_?IOPO:::(IIOILS llr;v(')\'lc\)'ed' ]:n)(\luiit(;?xl;; * ns and cities. [ 4; 0 .%® + No. 2 y s our large towns a be . answered in the affirmative, § ~ VYo | then light beer could be sold only Consequences of the Voting, lthrough Government agencies and '"'Then, as to what will happen in | for consumption in the home. If connection with the different votes | two and three should both be an-- on the different questions. | swered in the affirmative, then light ) "If number 1 is answered in the | beer would be sold through Govern-- negative, nothing, of course, is to-- | \ ment agencies and also in standard :quired. If it is answered in 'the hotels. Should two, three and four | affirmative, the old Liquor License all be answered in the affirmative, Act will be revived and licenses or should three and four be answered will be issued under the License in the affirmative, light beer would Board, as they were prior to the On--| .\ be sold in standard hoteis and in tario Temperance Act. > |\ Government -- agencies, and hard "If number 2 is answered in the | liquors would be sold through Gov-- negative, of course, nothing is re-- !\ etnment agencies for consumption quired. The Ontario Temperance : || in the home Act is not affected. If number 2 is '] ¢* answered in the affirmative, sub-- | Dominion Situation. | section 9 of section 2 of the act pro-- E T ; vides for what will happen. Light [ /"IK think it well tlfat I should beer is to be sold by suaules agencies ipoint out again, as I did the other established by the Board of License | day, that this Legislature has no Commissioners, subject to such regu-- |power to prohibit the manufacture lations as the bourd, with the appro-- or importation of intoxicating liquor, val of the Lieutenant--Governor in | that power resting entirely with the o Council, may from time to time pre--. Dominion Parliament, and that Par-- scribe. It is impossible to say in | \liament must take responsibility for advance what these regulations willl action in connection therewith. Any be, or should be. They will, no{ | legislation we may enact, will, of doubt, vary from time to time, andi course, be subject to such laws as | will be calculated to remedy any| |are now in force or may hereafter abuses that may develop in connec--| | be passed by the Dominion Govern-- tion with the sale of such beer. The| | ment relating to the manufacture License Board was given praotically' | or importation of intoxicating liguor. absolute authority under the Liquor |The manufacture of liquor contain-- License Act, 1915, to make 1'981118-! ling' more than two and a half per tions of all kinds in connection with [cent. proof spirits, has been abso-- the sale of liquor, and it is thought 'lutely prohibited in Canada since best to leave the conditions under | December 31. 1918, and the impor-- which this beer should be sold in | tation into Canada of such liquor the event of this question being | has been prohibited since December 'answered in the affirmative, to the' | 24, 1917, so that, as long as the | boards l'at!'lel' than to attempt to set < present la w continues in force, ithf.m out in the act. C | \ neither light beer stronger than two Then, if question 3 is answered' and a half per cent. proof spirits, or in the neg'ativle. nof;h'm;rz; ;I?eds to be | 'any other liquor, can be manufac-- done. If in the affirmative, subsec--| ; tured in Ontario or imported into | tion 10 provides what wxll.happen--! 'Ontario. If, however, the sale of | ' the board may _ issue llcenses' to | any kind of liquor is authorized in' \ standard hotels, subject to such leg-' Ontari it would"'th 1 ible | ulations as they may make from time t O+ ol M N6 POSSIA'® to time. They cannot, however, do o sell whate\_er stocks of such. li-- s here might be on hand with-- this unless two things happen. The quors t } 1 majority of all the electors of the [( the Province, | ' Province voting, must vote 'yes' to | In cpnc]usxon, I can only sa,v! question 3, and a majority of the that this Act has -- had the best electors voting in the municipality thought that this Government lSl in which the license is to be grant--| capable of. We have had the best a ed must also vote 'yes' to this ques-- ~|legal advice and assistance we could | tion. This makes it clear that the Isecure. I believe it will enable the board cannot force beer in standard people of the Province to freely and -- hoteis in a locality opposed to it. frankly express their views and Then, section 11 provides for local wishes in the ballot box. The wishes option in the matter of beer in of the majority should and will be standard hotels. It enables a muni-- | given effect to fairly and fearlessly s cipality that has voted 'wet' on the by the Government. We have had referendum on this question, to vote one aim and object from first to itself 'dry,' and similarly, a2 muni-- e | 4. -- | cipality that has voted itself 'dry' to f \ _ ' [ : « 4

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