DRINK AND THE STATE
Sut,—I feel perturbed after reading the article " Drink and the State " in your issue of September 28th. The writer, a Licensing Justice, has fallen into the error that all alcoholic drink is of itself an evil and that the sternest measures need to be taken to discourage Its consumption—even an attempt to rebuild a worn-out public-house is sneered at and is referred to as leading to "a serious abuse of drinking facilities." Moreover the argument that 78 per cent. of persons treated for venereal disease admit to having met their contact in a public-house is quite unsound as a con- demnation of the public-house.
If people want to consume alcohol, and there are few who will condemn this wish, surely it is the duty of any public authority in whom the control of this wish is vested, to satisfy this desire and at the same time to do their best to mitigate any dangers that may arise from misuse of alcohol by providing a sufficiency of decent spacious premises where people can drink in comfort. The present policy which leads to the drastic reduction of the number of licensed premises leads also to overcrowding in those that remain. Over-indulgence is almost inevitable if there is anxiety that the press of people will interfere with the natural wish of the average consumer.
Fallacious arguments such as are used by the writer of the article make it difficult seriously to assess the value of the important and interesting Carlisle experiment.—Yours faithfully, AMULREE. The Reform Club.
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