1923 Alberta prohibition plebiscite

September 2023 Alberta liquor plebiscite Alberta 1923 11 05 Prohibition 38.0 Licensed Sale of Beer 2.4 Government Sale of Beer 1.9 Government Sale of All Liquors 57.7 7,272 The 1923 Alberta prohibition plebiscite, held on November 5, 1923, was a province-wide plebiscite held in Alberta, Canada, to allow alcoholic beverages. It was triggered by an affirmative vote in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta after the presentation of a 56,000-name petition. The Direct Legislation Act (1913), a citizens referendum law or initiative law, was in force at the time. Prohibition was defeated by nearly 58 per cent (58%) of the vote and was replaced by the government sale of liquor and strictly-regulated taverns. Liquor would be sold in government stores, and the government took out the profit motive for "pushing" alcohol and engaged in little advertising to encourage sales. Consumers of liquor had to buy permits, which, if misused, could be "interdicted." As well, after the end of prohibition, the government brought in the local option vote and so communities could hold votes to prohibit sales of liquor in their communities. Cardston, for example, is a town that voted to uphold prohibition by plebiscite as recently as 2014. Prohibition was abolished in the last few prohibition areas in the province on June 17, 2020, but under the new provincial legislation, those areas will remain a dry until their respective councils pass motions to allow liquor sales.Alberta prohibition ended a century ago, except in one small area, where it ended just last month July 10, 2020 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/prohibition-southern-alberta-cardston-bill-two-1.5645285 Campaign The writs were issued to Alberta's 52 electoral districts (under the 1921 boundaries) on October 9, 1923.Writs for Liquor Plebiscite to be Issued. Lethbridge Daily Herald September 18, 1923 1 Four options were presented to votes and voting was by instant-runoff voting, as favored by the United Farmers government. Voters ranked up to four of the options given.Mark by Preference Lethbridge Daily Herald 4 October 26, 1923 The leadership of the prohibitionist Methodist Church (soon to be part of the United Church) advised its worshippers to plump (mark just one choice) for prohibition. About half the ballots cast had no secondary preferences marked."Plump for Prohibition is recommendation for Methodists of Alberta", Edmonton Bulletin, June 4, 1923, p. 1"Statement of Votes polled liquor plebiscite" (government document), Provincial Archives of Alberta, "Alberta politics" info file. accessed October 15, 2024 In the event, one option, government sale of liquor and private taverns selling beer, took a majority of votes on the first count, and so no additional rounds of counting had to be conducted.A Report on Alberta Elections Prohibition Committee Executives Prohibition Committee Executive October 26, 1923 4 Lethbridge Daily Herald November 3, 1923PresidentW.S. GalbraithVice PresidentsJ.D. HiggenbottomGladstone VirtueSecretaryH.B. BrownAssistant SecretaryJohn WoodTreasureF.H. WilkinsPublicityD.H. EllenTransportationRalph ThrallOrganizerRev. Wealaway The Prohibition Committee was a campaign committee set up for the plebiscite to campaign for Option A, the option to continue the Liquor Act as it was before the plebiscite.The Prohibition Platform October 26, 1923 Lethbridge Daily Herald 12 The Prohibitionists had a seven-point platform. Point one encouraged voters to respect the laws already on the books. Point two stated that every constitutional method should be used to enact a change in law when the majority of voters desired a change. Points three, four, and five focused on highlighting harm done by alcohol to the fabric of the community and contended that society is incumbent upon itself to ban such harm. Point six encouraged the crackdown and banning of liquor distilling in Alberta and its exportation outside the province. Point seven supported the committee's satisfaction with the Liquor Act in force to that point. The committee believed that the current legislation was the means to the end and allowed for efforts to be sustained until total prohibition was achieved. The Moderation League of Alberta was the committee campaigning for Option D, the end of prohibition and its replacement by government control of the sale of booze and sale of beer in licensed premises. Results Ballot optionsVotesThe Alberta Gazette 1940 Vol 20 No. 2 25 Government of Alberta%(a) Prohibition - Meaning thereby a continuance and development of present Liquor Legislation; that is, meaning the Abolition of the Sale of all Liquors excepting for strictly Medicinal Sacramental, Manufacturing and Scientific Purposes.61,64738.0%(b) Licensed Sale of Beer - Meaning thereby, the Sale of Beer in Licensed Hotels and other Premises, as provided in the proposed Temperance Act.3,9362.4%(c) Government Sale of Beer - Meaning thereby, the Sale of Beer by or through Government Vendors for consumption in Private Residences under Government Control and Regulations - other Liquors to be sold through Doctor's Prescription for Medicinal Purposes.3,0781.9%(d) Government Sale of All Liquors - Meaning thereby, the Sale of all Liquors by or through Government Vendors. Beer to be consumed on Licensed Premises and in Private Residences. Wines and Spirits to be purchased in limited quantities under permit issued by the government, under Government Control and Regulations.93,68057.7%Total162,341100%Rejected, spoiled and declined7,272 (d) won a clear majority on the first ballot. No extra count was required as instant-runoff voting resorts to if needed. In Edmonton, a clear majority favored option D. Clause A came in second, with options B and C receiving few votes."Edmonton city majority placed at 3459 as result of latest results compiled last night", Edmonton Bulletin, November 6, 1923, p. 1 In Calgary, 15,586 voters favoured option D, while option A received just 7900 votes, with less than 600 votes cast for options B and C."Alberta votes wet by 35,000", Edmonton Bulletin, November 6, 1923, p. 1 References Works cited Hamill Sarah E. M. From Prohibition to Administrative Regulation: The Battle for Liquor Control in Alberta, 1916 to 1939 2014 10.7939/R3T727Q37 free University of Alberta Edmonton Hopkins J. Castell The Canadian Annual Review of Public Affairs, 1923 1924 The Annual Review Toronto https://archive.org/details/canadianannualre0000unse_g1z2 Sheehan Nancy M. Temperance, Education and The WCTU in Alberta, 1905–1930 The Journal of Educational Thought August 1980 14 2 108–124 23768682 10.7939/R3R20S542 free Category:1923 elections in Canada 1923 Category:1923 in Alberta Category:November 1923 in Canada Category:Multiple-choice referendums