SUNDAY CLOSING IN WALES.
By C. P. B.
WE learn from the London Times of April 22 that the Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald recently formulated and sent out a series of questions relating to the practical working of the Sunday Closing Act in Wales, and obtained many answers from members of Parliament, mayors, magistrates, county councillors, chief constables, professional men, keepers of public houses, and others. These have given their testimony pro and con., and the evidence thus collected has been put together and published by the Sunday Closing Association. “Some,” says the Times, “have pronounced in favor of the act and of its proved results. Others declare no less strongly that the act has been something worse than a failure, and has done grave, positive harm. Not many of the authorities approve entirely of the act as it stands.” “The most grave charges against the act are the encouragement which it has given to the formation of clubs at which drink can be obtained at all hours, and the practice which it has brought about of purchasing liquor on Saturday for next day’s home consumption.” So that as a temperance measure it is well-nigh a failure. The Times says:— “It is not always easy, in a case of the kind, to strike a balance between good and evil, and to be sure which of them preponderates. With the Welsh Sunday Closing Act there is less room than usual for doubt. Its enemies and its friends unite in giving testimony against it, and in deploring the results which it either encourages or is powerless to prevent.” The more we study the question, the more firmly are we convinced that the only effective temperance means are in the direction of absolute prohibition of the traffic in alcoholic beverages. High license and Sunday-closing laws are worse than useless, as they both legalize the business of liquor selling at certain times and under certain conditions without at the same time reducing materially the consumption of liquors. C. P. B.