From Our Own Correspondent, Kingston, Out., Mar. 31.
There have been some unusually interesting matters connected with Canada's great question of prohibition during the past month. It has come to light that on the night preceding the, end of the last session of the Ontario Legislation "q little party' was held in the room of one of the Ministers at which, contrary to the Ontario Temperance Act, whisky formed a part of the entertainment. To add to the joviality of the proceedings, several male and female friends are reported to have been present. Of course when this be came known it raised a big scandal, and attracted attention from one end of the country to the other. One point to remember is that the Premier of this Province, Mr. Drury, and its Attorney-General, Mr. Raney, are both rabid Probibitionists: the latter is enforcing the Temperance Act to its extreme limits.
To show how important the matter was regarded, directly it became known, the City Council of Toronto took it up, and demanded an inquiry as it was one "'affecting the welfare of the city's good name and government." The United Farmers' Organization, which was mainly instrumental in putting the present Farmer and Labour Coalition Government in office in Ontario, also passed a_ resolution asking "Premier Drury and the Attorney-General to take such steps as shall preserve the honour of the United Farmers."
The matter came up in the Fouse: the Premier said that be had heard of it soon after the little party had been held, but on making inquiries had found that the Minister in whose room it had been held had not been present at it, nor any other Minister, so he had taken no steps. He refused to take any, so did the Attorney-General: the Speaker said it was no business of his to order an inquiry, and the members of the House did nothing. It was thought that the Dominion Alliance, which is striving so hard to make Canada "bone dry." would insist upon an inquiry, but by an actual resolution refused to do so.
Thus the delightful opportunity is given the anti-prohibitionists, which is sure to be taken advantage of more and more as time goes on, of declaring that the Ontario Legislation has one law for itself and another for the people, that the Temperance Act is not being justly enforced, and that the Dominion Alliance allows this.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.