MR. ALFRED BOOTH'S SPEECH.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR.")
SIR,—I fully agree that the speech which you published by- the Chairman of the Cunard Company is a most notable contri- bution to the discussion in your pages. I should like to say, however, that there are very few Fe-war abstainers who are satisfied with " that and nothing more." We are mostly doing our bit. We have been content hitherto to leave the discussion in your columns to those not so closely identified with the Temperance movement, and are highly gratified by the evident product of our educational efforts in the past. The intervention of representatives of the liquor trade can have but little real influence, for obviously they are only pleading in their own interests, which are being quite sufficiently conserved for them by the Government. Mr. Alfred Booth's reference to the demand which this trade makes upon the services of transport, labour, &o., suggests a point which might well be worthy of exploration. The demand which " the trade " makes upon the services of officers of Excise is one which calls for close investigation. Why should men who, even if ineligible for enlistment, might be doing real " war work," be occupied in standing over whisky-blenders in the bonded stores of distillers, whose bookkeeping these officers largely do for them in the process of assessing Excise Duty ? Then, after all, how much Excise Duty does the Government get after allowing the customary rebate on the whisky now exported to " somewhere " yid Scandinavia in vastly greater proportions than before the war 1 How many of those employed as officers, wareholuremen, and lads are scheduled as engaged in " indispensable service " ? Rather are they, with the consent of the authorities, not only hindering us but helping our enemies ? Unless, of course, the liquor lords are prepared to argue that their whisky is deadly in its effects upon the enemy am, Sir, dm,
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