70 THE ALCOHOL PROBLEM 
paratively small success, and show no signs of progress. 
Even if an increasing number of “ no-licence ’ areas 
were carried, they are so small in size that anyone can 
easily walk to a “continuance” area, so the tempta- 
tion of the public house is removed only to a limited 
extent. As previously mentioned, the whole of New 
Zealand is divided into 76 electoral areas, whilst 
Scotland, which is less than a third of its size, is divided 
into 1,215 areas; but if these small areas in Scotland 
were made considerably larger, it is improbable that 
any of them would carry a mo-licence vote, though 
they might carry Limitation. We have no exact in- 
formation to guide us about England, but it is probable 
that local option polls would give no more favourable 
results than in Scotland, though they might do so in 
Wales. Hence the advance through local option is 
bound to be very gradual, unless the system of voting 
is modified in the direction suggested in Chapter V., 
and additional options such as local control and dis- 
interested management are permitted. 
The retrogression of the total prohibition move- 
ment in New Zealand is exceeded by the retrogression 
in most of the other countries which have tried it. 
Absolute compulsion inevitably stirs up a fierce deter- 
mination in the minds of many men to defeat the law 
at all costs; but if the prohibition is relative and not 
absolute, it is accepted with comparative resignation. 
Many countries have recognised this principle, and 
have instituted systems whereby the sale of spirits and 
other highly alcoholic liquors is restricted by making 
them a Government monopoly and subject to special 
permits, or in other ways. No doubt these methods 
might be greatly improved in the majority of cases, but