“US= obtain prescriptions and, consequently, were going thirsty -- a truly deplorable state of affairs whch some private entrepreneurs/took steps to. correct. Ina Mgtter of months, every side street in Charlottetown had an Oasis in operation, many located in the little corner grocery stores that used to be so common -- "selling on the sly" as it was locally’ termed. Some farmers “had stills in thsir berns for their own benefit and to supply their neighbors. Many of the 3 chooners carrying farm produce to. the West Indies came back with part cargoes of rum and whiskey which were smuggled ashore at various points along the Island coast. In many respects, the Prohibition years on the Island were a small copy of the Prohibition era in the United States, with the difference that the Americans discarded the: system, lock, stock, and barrel, after a much shorter trial period had demonstrated its futility.

When the Prohibition Law was passed, the government provided drastic penalties for transgryssors. A force of inspectors was organized and given extremely broad powers of arrest whenever they found what they considered "reasonable evidence of a violation." The crime was not in the possession of liquor but in the sale, and the law was interpreted to teen that there was no necessity to prove: that money had actually changed hands. Furthermore, only a very Sketchy description of the liquor involved was required. Informers were rewarded by one-quarter of the fine imposed, if the conviction resulted from their testimony. First offenders were punished by a fine of one hundred dollars, or three months in jail if they were unable or unwilling to pey the fine. The dice were heavily loaded in favor of the prosecution. The conrept of “innocent until proved guilty" had no application in those trials, which were hela before stipendiary magistrates from whose sentences there was no appeal.

It soon became apparent that the solution of the liquor problem lay in

some direction other than the Prohibition Law. It had made an admittedly