88 OUR ISLAND STORY,

as secretary. The first Scott Act election followed, under its auspic— - es, in the year 1878.. Prince County was, as a result of the election,

I . first brought under the operation of “The Canada Temperance

Act.” A majority of "the electors of Charlottetown and Kings County, voted for its. introduction in the year 1879; and in the following year, a majority of the electors of Queens County voted for it. So it became, for several years, the law prohibiting the liquor traffic throughout the Province.

But its operation, as that of all other laws affecting the traffic, was not satisfactory. There continued to be a large illicit sale of intoxicants, eSpeCially in the towns. In the year 1897, a ma)ority of the city electors voted it out of Charlottetown and there ensued in the city a period known as that of Free Rum wdemoralizing

alike to the-city and the country round about.

After, much agitation on the part of temperance societies and _ of men and women who had the interests of the people of the Pro~ Vince at heart, the Legislature, under the leadership of the Hon. Donald Farquharson, passed the Prohibitory liquor Law of P. E. Island 1n the year 1900. By this law“ no person, directly or in—.

‘ directly, or upon any device, could sell or barter, or in consideration

of the purchase of any property,- give to any other person any in- toxicating liquor.” This law was not respected by many persons , engaged in the liquor trade, and was not strictly enforced. Yet it upheld by a large ma)0rity of the people, and was several times

amended and strengthened. In the year 1918 An Act to Consolidate and Amend the vari-

ous Acts relating to the Prohibiting of fntoxicating Liquors” Was passetd. According to this Act the prohibitions of the sale of liquor included “Alcohol and every spirituous and every fermented and

‘ every malt combination of liquors and spirits or preparations or

mixtures capable of human consumption which is intoxicating, and any mixed liquor capable of being used as a beverage, and part of which is spirituous or otherwise intoxicating, and all malt beer of what nature or kind soever Without regard to the proportion of , alcohol it contains.” ' Indeed, “any drinkable liquid which con- tains more than two and one-half per cent. by volume of proof spirits” was deemed to be intoxicating, and its sale was forbidden

by the law.