Temperance (Scotland) Act 1913
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The Temperance (Scotland) Act 1913 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom under which voters in a district in Scotland were enabled to hold a poll to vote on whether their district remained "wet" or went "dry" (that is, whether alcoholic beverages should be permitted or prohibited). The decision was made on a simple majority of votes cast.
The Act was a result of the strong temperance movement in Scotland before the First World War. Brewers and publicans formed defence committees to fight temperance propaganda, and publicans became unwilling to spend money on improvements to their premises in case the district went "dry". The Act and its local polls were abolished by the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976.
There was resistance from the House of Lords to the passing of the Act, leading to threats to use the (relatively new) Parliament Act 1911 to pass it. In the end, the Act was passed without the Parliament Act being needed.
