Edinburgh, Nov. 3.
Scotland is in the midst of its first great struggle over the Scottish Temperance (Local Option) Act. Some polls have already been taken; but most of the areas vote later, on different dates in November and December; Edinburgh does not go to the booths till December 4. Altogether district plebiscites are arranged for in 588 of the 911 aveas in which there are one or more licensed premises. The test of public opinion will therefore be pretty widely applied, and some lessons may be learned for use in future years, About 50 areas polled on the first day, and though at this early stage of the elections it is not possible to give any adequate judgement on the results, still the decisions come to show how the current is flowing. The majorities for No-Change are unexpectedly great, and are eloquent of the final result, The most remarkable feature of the polling so far is the pitiful appearance that "Reduction" of the licences by one-fourth has made. This may be due to the manifest crudeness and inefficiency of the Act, which does not permit of the exercise of judgement by people of moderate opinions. It is scarcely to be doubted that the majority of the electors want some form of real improvement apart from reduction in the number of licences. But the options did not provide for this expression of opinion The moderates, therefore, had to vote No-Change, not because they entirely favoured that policy, but because they preferred it to a policy of extreme Prohibition.
The condition of many of our public-houses is unsatisfactory, and the Trade admit it. They have got reprieve, they must take a thought and mend. They will certainly not be allowed to forget their promises of amendment during the present campaign, The great size of many of the No-Change majorities is remarkable. And another notable fact is the strength of that poll in the industrial areas.
It may be remarked that the canvassing was of the most complete kind; nothing like it has been known in any political elec-
The present local plebiscite, it should be kept in mind, is only an experiment—or, more correctly, the first of a: series of experiments, the first lap of a race, the first round in" fight. In three years there will be another poll, and the decisions now come to may be reviewed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.