The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-08
A Bad way of Dealing with the Liquor
QuestiOn.

Attention has lately been directed, both in
this country and in England, to the results
said to have been attained by Swedish legis
ation in regulating the liquor traffic. The
exact facts seem to have been brought ont
in the discussion which took place during
the recent session of Parliament upon n bill
empowering town councils in the United
Kingdom to APPLY VI. Is known as the
Gothchburg syetcm. W sat is this system,
and what has it Effected;
Up to 1875 drunkenness and those forms
~ crminnltv which may bc traced to it,
were more prevalent in Sweden, notwith-
standing remarkably efficient scheme Of
popular education, than in any other Euro
pcan country. In the year named was
passed the Swedish Licensing Act, which
abolished domestic stills, and authorized
| parish authorities or town councils to limit
the number of retail spirit shops and public
houses. As no minimum number of licenses
was fixed, this was in substance u local
option act; and We may note one other pro-
vision. namely, that under certain guaran-
tees the whole quota of licenses issued III
given town might bc assigned by the muni-
cipal officers to an incorporated company.
1t is not disputed that this legislation was
followed bya falling on in the number of dis
tillcres from 1900 in 1850, to l57 In 1869, and
10y dminution in the annual product from
2G,0OO,0oO to 100000 gallons. So vigorously
have the people outside of towns used the
permission to limit and prohibit, that, ac-
cording 10 Mr.. BALFouR, in recent letter
| 10 Nj GLADSTONE, there are now only 80
| pIaces for the sale Of spirits among rural
| population Of three and a half millions.
II does not appear, however that prohi
/ liilYn was adopted 10y any of the towns. and
! although in some Of them a sensible inn
| prpvcmcnt was secured 10y the operation Of
/ the Licensing act, the condition OF things in
the larger cities. and especially in Guthon-
burg. remained dcplorahlc. IL that city. the
second in size and commercial Importance,
it was shown 10y the report of the Municipal
Council in 1854 that pauperism and criminal
violence were far more rife than in any
other Swedish town. Ia that year the ar
rests for drunkenness represented more than
five per cent. of the population. With a
view of checking the consumption OF spirits,
the town authorities determined 10 avail
themselves of the clause in the act above
cited. and organized the system now COM
monty identified with the name of their y.
Its gcrminal principle was that public
houses should no longer be- conducted 10y in
diNidualS. but by an association which
should neither bring gain to its members nor
tp the managers Of its several establish
mcnts, the profits all going to the munich
patty.
Whom tho now schemc wont Incorporation.
I'm 1855. there wore in existence some sixty
Licenses at this disposal Of the Town Coun-
ell. all of which soon came under the control
~ the association, which has likewise all
sOrbcd since 1913 the groccrs retail Accn-r-.
twenty in number. In this way Il nearly
complete monopoly OF the retail spirit trade
was secured only seycn outside licenses he-
ing still held by vested rights Tho l}olag,
az the company l. called, is in he hands OF
ten directors. any citizen being eligible to
the Office, whether he il n shareholder or
not. The directors determine the number
aud locality of the shops to bc kept open,
and select the superintendent. The latter
agree ~ furnish coffee and cooked food when
called for: t. sell spirits and wines for cash
only; To derive their profit only from the
sale ~ malt liquors. refreshments and food.
and to furnish security for the fulAlmont OF
these obligations. II appears that the gains
derived by majority oi the employees are
80 Inadequate that they ara induced TO re-
main 10y special allowances paid out OF the
general receipts On the whole, notwith-
standing some errors Of administration, the
hon u intcnton Of the company to carry
out the purpose announced in their pro-
eranmc, is conceded 10y those who have
studied the practical workings Of their sys-
tenn.
But how far has Il promoted the woll-lolng
| ,F
ynal Giminution Of paupcr-m and crime
in Guthonl ulg; some years ago an ailirma-
tive answer seems to have been taken for
granted, and the Swedish experiment re-
ovlScd the favorable notice OF Mr. GLAD-
STONE, aud Of Mr. BRUCE, the Home Secrc-
tuy under his Ministry. But some uutO-
ward facts We're disclosed under the mode
of scrutiny 10 which the system was lately
subjected in the House II Commons. There
IT, mo- doubt that the Bolag pays we'll rogurd-
I'd purely MS "A municipal operation. Before
IFS Inauguration the town received annually
from the sale Of Licenses about $4,000,
Whereas the profits of 1875 payable TO the
town are said to have reached $4,000. This
is equivalent tOa revenue Of morc than three
million dollars for the population OF New
York city Now, although no mean. exist
for comparing the aggregate sales of spirits
during the period OF the Bolag administra-
ton with those Of previous years, it is OBJ
vlous that the magnitude Of the profits
derived mainly from the sale Of the cheap
est whi-key, implies an immense consump-
tion. 1t is admitted, indeed, that the total
consumption Of spirits in 1873 would repre-
sent an average OF six gallons for every
man, woman, and child. Meanwhile the use
Of malt liquors had increased SO largely that
uls,l four hundred beer shops We're open in
GotAenhurg thrre-iuulths of which, how
over are said 10 have been closed in the fol-
] wing year As regards the criminal record,
1t seems that the ratio Of arrests for drunk
rnuoss To the whole population decreased
for number 81 years after the system was
enforced, hut that later n reaction set n,
until IN 1874, tho last yoar for which data on
this head are attaiuablo, thcpcrccntaSc Was
not Jar bclow the figures ol 1865.
The differences suggested hy those s'atis-
ft..t 4 Lat