PREFACE 
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desired level of intelligent and progressive management 
will expose the licensee to the loss of his privilege. 
To obtain the necessary uniformity throughout the 
country and to ensure progressive policy, it would be 
necessary for public control to be under the super- 
vision of a central authority which should either itself 
control or supervise control by special local bodies. 
My view is that a public authority is far more com- 
petent to exercise supervision than to conduct trade 
by its own agents, and this consideration would, in 
my opinion, be conclusive as to the preferability of 
the system I advocate even were there no financial 
danger from State purchase. 
[t may be asked what the practical measures would 
be which would expedite the introduction of the pro- 
posed reform. They might consist in the division of 
the country into a certain number of monopoly areas 
and an enactment that within an area the present 
holders or licensees must come forward with a joint 
scheme for the exercise of the monopoly which it has 
been proposed to grant to them. These areas should 
certainly be much larger than existing licensing areas. 
How much larger can only be determined after mature 
examination. They should be designed so as to 
reduce the cost of transport and facilitate economic 
administration. 
In the event of these proposals proving inacceptable, 
alternative schemes would be received from other 
groups. The general control of this system would 
have to be confined to a central authority. 
[t may be contended that under the plan advocated 
the public interest would be sacrificed; that inferior 
liquor would be supplied; that the element of com-