of cause and effect, for they found out that in almost every case the victim of the accident had taken beer with his lunch. The teaching of the schools thus found proof in actual experience, and an order was issued forbidding any one to bring beer upon the grounds, or into the building upon penalty of dismissal from the employ of the company. When a scientist, like Dr. Lauder Brunton, proves that "alcohol increases the reaction time, the time for discrimination and the time for decision, that it makes all the nervous processes slower, but at the same time has the curious effect of producing a kind of anesthesia, so that all these processes seem to the person himself to be quicker than usual, instead of being, as they really are, much slower," and such facts are learned by the high school boy, it would be strange if the keen insight of the modern railroad financier did not at once see the reason for the failure of his employees to distinguish signals and protect himself and his business accordingly. In 1896 one of the officers of a large railroad corporation was asked "What led to the order issued by your company forbidding the employment of men to run trains who are users when on or off duty of alcoholic drinks or tobacco?" The reply was "Why, even the children in the public schools know that tobacco, as well as alcohol, blunts the perceptive faculties. You cannot expect to teach these things to the children and trade not take the hint. We want the men who run our trains to be in full possession of their faculties. We want the best service a man can give for the money we pay him. We are surer of getting that from the men who neither smoke nor drink and that is the reason why we forbid these habits in the men in our employment."

Recent legislation shows perhaps more clearly than anything else the results of teaching in the schools the nature and effects of alcohol. In 1890, the Supreme Court of the United States, in response to the demand for compensation for a revoked license to sell alcoholic drinks, handed down this decision: The injury from alcohol "first falls upon the drinker in his health, which the habit undermines, in his morals which it weakens, and in the self-abasement which it creates. As it leads to neglect of business and waste of property and general demoralization, there is no inherent right of the citizen to sell intoxicating liquors by retail." A lawyer, and ex-United States Senator of national fame, in commenting on this decision, said: "The right to prohibit the sale of alcoholic drinks.

is based on the decision of science that alcohol is not a food, but a poison." Now multiply this decision by the many decisions involving alcohol in the different courts of the different states and some idea may be formed of the value of teaching in the schools the demonstrated fact that alcohol is a poison and therefore a prohibitable substance. In 1901 Senator J. H. Gallinger, in his speech upon the law prohibiting the sale of beer or alcohol in any form to our soldiers in army posts or canteens, quoted passages from a school physiology showing the harmful effects of beer. Can we doubt that such teaching in the schools of the nation lies back of the many temperance laws that have been enacted during the past decade?

Well did the German philosopher say, "What you would have your people, that put into your schools." The demand of the banks to-day in employing young men is that they not only do not use alcoholic liquors, but that they shall not be seen in places where they are sold. About one million men are required by the great railroad companies to be total abstainers. The large manufacturing companies and the corporations engaged in commerce are making the same requirements, for steam and electricity are the motive powers of the present industrial world, and the teaching of science that alcohol is a brain poison shows clearly that the workman using it is unfit to handle these things. When one reads in a text-book, as in the "Human Body," by H. Newell Martin, D.Sc., M.A., F.R.S., that the results of the use of alcohol are as follows: "He who was prompt in the performance of duty begins to shirk that which is irksome; energy gives place to indifference, truthfulness to lying, integrity to dishonesty. For even with the best intentions in making promises or pledges, there is no strength of will to keep them. In forfeiting the respect of others, respect for self is lost, and character is overthrown," he does not wonder that the result of such teaching, carried into business, is that no railway, telegraph, telephone or factory manager is willing to entrust the management of costly equipment and the protection of hundreds of human lives to one who is addicted to the use of alcoholic liquors.

Many years ago the results of the teaching of the nature and effects of alcohol upon the human system were recognized abroad, and the English press argued that the rank of the United States in the world's commerce was due to the greater sobriety of the American workman. This sobriety was attributed to the temper

ance teaching in the elementary schools. Accordingly, in 1904, upwards of fifteen thousand members of the medical profession in Great Britain and Ireland petitioned for compulsory education in hygiene and temperance in their public and elementary schools, with the present result that hygiene and temperance are a part of the English public school system. Sweden accepted the same methods for inculcating the truth, and even sent her teachers to the United States to learn how to teach physiology and hygiene with special reference to the nature and effects of stimulants and narcotics. France began the teaching of hygiene in her schools in 1897. Finland made the teaching a part of her public school system, with the result that in the few years which it has been taught, the consumption. of liquors has decreased from twenty litres to two litres per capita. The Woman's Christian Temperance Union is now introducing this instruction through special missionaries sent for the purpose into Japan, India and China. Thus the result of the teaching of the nature and effect of alcohol on the human system in the United States is bringing about the same teaching throughout the world. In consequence of this teaching, an intelligent interest in all that pertains to good health has naturally followed. This is recognized as one of the important results of scientific temperance instruction, for in the Journal of the American Medical Association of 1900 we read: "The people of the present day exhibit more intelligent interest in the discussion of sanitary problems, both public and private, than any preceding generation and this interest seems to be steadily increasing. A large share, in our opinion, in this country, at least, may, with justice, be attributed to the systematic study of physiology and hygiene, including the scientific temperance instruction which for some years has been a part of the regular course of study for pupils in our public schools."

That such results as the foregoing may accrue from any system of education but proves the truth of Lord Brougham's words: "Let the soldier be abroad if he will, he can do nothing in this age. There is another personage, a personage less imposing in the eyes of some, perhaps insignificant. The schoolmaster is abroad, and I trust to him, armed with his primer, against the soldier in full military array."

THE REGULATION OF THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC IN

ENGLAND

BY MISS AGNES E. SLACK,

Acting Vice-President of the National British Women's Temperance Association and Honorary Secretary of the World's Woman's

Christian Temperance Union.

Until 1853 liquor shops in Great Britain were open day and night under no time-limit restrictions. In 1854 Sunday closing was secured for Scotland and the hours of sale in England were limited. Ten years later an act was passed forcing liquor shops to close the sale of intoxicants at midnight. In 1872 the hours for the sale of liquor in all public houses were reduced by twenty-four hours a week. In 1881 the Welsh Sunday Closing Act was passed, also an act prohibiting the serving of spirit rations to youths in the navy. In 1882 the passing of the Licenses Amendment Bill led to the refusal of a large number of beer-house licenses. In 1883 acts were passed which prohibited the payment of workingmen's wages in drink shops and the use of drink shops as Parliamentary election committee rooms.

In 1886 a bill was passed which checked the sale of intoxicants to children; 1887 the Truck Bill prohibited the part payment of agricultural laborers' wages in drink, and the Scotch Early Closing Act closed every liquor shop at ten p. m. in towns of less than 50,000 people. In 1897 the Irish Sunday and Saturday closing bill was passed. In 1901 the Child Messenger Bill made it illegal to serve children under fourteen years of age excepting in sealed vessels.

Many other acts have been passed, but the above list gives the general trend of temperance legislation. In 1904 the Conservative Government passed an act which gave the licenses to the brewers. For nearly 400 years the brewers had been recognized to be the property of the nation. This serious retrograde movement we are now trying to retrieve.

Attempts have been made in the direction of municipal regula

tion. A scheme, under the erroneous name of "disinterested management," was five years since pushed by some old-tried temperance leaders, but the temperance societies disassociated themselves from endorsing a propaganda which if carried into law would have made the people generally share in the profits of the traffic. Since the money would be diverted from brewers and shareholders to companies which after receiving dividends for the money they had invested, would use the surplus for public parks, almshouses, etc., it was felt that the scheme would popularize the traffic.

I have several times visited Norway and Sweden and investigated the working of their municipalization laws. An impartial scrutiny has strongly turned me against all such schemes, which corrupt citizens by creating a partnership between them and the liquor traffic. So strenuous opposition of our temperance societies has prevented any such mischievous anti-temperance laws being adopted by our Parliament.

To-day we are facing the most serious situation our nation has ever been called upon to meet. Our brave government has introduced a licensing bill which has the support of all temperance organizations and which the liquor party and the powers of evil in this country are opposing most unscrupulously. The bill, if carried into law, will handicap a traffic which is creating such enormous evils as no legislation has ever done. It would directly lessen disease, crime, lunacy and pauperism and the general physical and mental deterioration of our people for which drinking habits are so largely responsible.

What the Licensing Bill Proposes

The licensing bill of 1908, introduced by Mr. Asquith on behalf of the government, contains forty-seven clauses, and included in its provisions are the following:

1. A time limit of fourteen years, from April, 1909, to the compensation clauses of the act of 1904. At the end of fourteen years all licenses are to be considered new licenses-subject to payment of monopoly value.

2. Reduction of licenses. A gradual and compulsory reduction in the number of licenses, so that at the end of fourteen years they shall not exceed one license to every 400 persons in country places. In towns, the proportion is to vary between 1 to 500 and 1 to 1,000 of the population. Extensions of licensed premises to be liable to pay monopoly values.