Pro THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR."3
SIR,—Your excellent article on "A Dry America" touches warily on the probable correlation of drought and efficiency. But on the eve of our annual licensing meetings it may be well to emphasize one point on which we have experience in England, backed by the careful comments of the Liquor Control Board. It seems obvious that alcoholic liquor is best taken with food, and it is the duty of innkeepers to supply both food and drink if rolled for. So impressed with these two facts were the Board that in reducing the hours of sale for beer they were especially careful not to curtail facilities for the supply of non-alcoholic refreshment. They even begged I.P.'s in pro- claimed areas to inquire how far these needs were met. Whether it were the fault of the tied-house system or not, they found with regret that the licensees were not enthusiastic in their efforts to make profit in this way. It is, however, not too much to say, as has been well said, that "every step towards ensuring a sufficient food supply is a step towards national health and effectiveness." The law as it stauds puts it into the bands of Licensing Benches to encourage this step. And in these days when wages are higher the labouring man before going to factory or field can afford a meal as well as a drink if the Magistrates see that innkeepers are doing their duty and making it possible for the men to start work refreshed rather
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