The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-05
THE GREAT LI9UOR QUESTION
The GothenburE system Explained and De-
Tended

1
| r,o Gy,'o,g, Hand,i.oI ej5i,-i riining
Has the Gothenburg system FOR the sale OF
strong drink borne the good fruits which were
expected othl Thlsis aquestion which necres;,
whether the system shall he maintained among
| ourselves and extended to other places.
Asagcncral answer We do not hesitate to ex-
press an opinion that, n the proposition were
made to 20 back from this eystem 10 the old
ordrrQf things, it would certainly get the lcast
possible support This constitutes n weighty
circumstance. for had tho workings ~ the sys-
ten been as unsatisfactory as has been init
tcrancc we have read was in the New York
paper, THE SvN-Gothcnburg would bo the first
| place Ia reccdc from it.
Another general answer consists in this. that
In GothcnburR exceeding good order and tram
| quillity now prevail. Violence and hrawling in
/ the streets the harhor. and the alchouses which
| formerly were far from rare. and viii III for the
most part are tho results of intoxicatiop, have
| become nOwNcry scarce Our city may ls looked
! upon as a model q .peacriuines7. III othcr
things contribute to this result. such rs better
police. and So on yet the influence Of the modern
| dissouteness of manners should also be takcn
The workings ~ tho system. besides, crh
scarcelyhc measured IN statistics. Those when
up to his time. have been made use of are very
Attention has chiefly been directed to tho
| number OF casos OF drunkenness As we have
frequently mentioned, figures are of little s9-
nncanrc They depend upon laws and the exc
| cutiOn ~ laws. \ case Of drunkenness made out
by a complaint that man Is somewhat excited
by liquor Is quite different from one which arises
! from his being helpcssly drunk, or from his
being violent and disturbing the public peace.
| TO compare II community which IN this respect
observes stringent rules with ono which shows
more lenity Is. therefore. deceptive. II depends
also upon how the laws'ure cxecuted-that Is 10
say, whether the regulations are enforced or
Now the fact has hccn overlooked. as We have
before shown. that the cnses ot drunk enncss in
Goihenbdrg. which IN 1888 rose to 3l3l convic-
os. mnoHnt9d IN lS'S or twenty yeHfs later.
| laion in this time increased from 80 900 to Co.
900 But il has been insisted that the number
OF convictions which. in the first year Of the
new regulations 1868. went down to 1920.
aftcrward Increased until 1t is said that in 1875
they amounted 10 2 .4Op. This Is very bad. hut
! If comparison Doe made with the proportion in
Other places. the thing appears ia another light.
W. me nuSt di rom 81 IN s
to 3.6i9 in 1873. and j.7sl in 1875. II these ig
urcs are 10 Ire taken ~ the measure OF intern
| perance in Stockholm-whi.h in our opinion
| they are no,-they speak highly in favor Of the
| Goihenburg system.
as thristinna and Copenhagen. bitter CON-
plants Of the sad increase q drinking com
degree in Gothonburg. although here We have
! To Obserye with sadness AMI regret an Increase
of drinking and many an awful mischief in
The effort has also been made to set UP
| standard Of the Increase Of the consumption Of
| Intoxicating liquors, founded upon our reports
| u the snleH in drinking and retailing places.
| Thus. foreign Journals have discovered a
| frightfu amount of consumption of brandy in
This calculation j. altogether unjust.
As to the brandy sold here. in all probability
| for We have no certainty On the poiut--only
the smaller part Is for tho Inhabitants OF Goth
onhurg ana the erentor part for the extensive
from GothcnDure. And tho prosperity Of Tho
country people, Of late years. has naturally had
an effect upon their purchases hero.
An examination q the figures 81 sales shows
that in the year 1859. or tho first year the
ing shops in Gothenhurs and MaIorna amount
edit 10000 cans. SIX years ater. or 1910. the
sales in drinking shors through the company
amounted to 2i6,O6I cans. Of which, also $4,000
or 10000 cans may be set down as the sO-callod
better class Of spirits
concerning the figures 81 which in the time
previous. when the business was carried on
edi in is7i,5 t. sol .4OS cans.
In 1876 the sales wore in equal amounts:
F fsF s sfisiai":. s.a; s ss9:3
81 which 50 7ss cans Of the better class Of spr-
its should be divided between both branches Of
sncs.
Hero is certainly an increase. but then it
amounts 10 less than on" per cent. or less than
The indicate ions are that the salcs ~ brandy
for the current year-Oct. |. 1875. 10 Sept. 3d.
lsli-will show no opsdernble decrease. 9w-
ms 70 worse times among the working people.
. These tsures spSaE by no means asansl the
Perhaps weghtier figures than all those given
are those q criminal offences. since these.
which in 1869 amounted TO $40, fell in 1875 to
notwithstanding considerable increase 81 pop
ulation. But even here is AT work good pre-
servRtor Of order. in better popu ar instruction
better times Tor day lahorsrs. and 50 forth.
H. thus the system In respect of morality hft
not borne evil fruits. but the reverse. SO II IL
Just 10 put To- its crcditthe great Income through
which many good and useful things have been
produced II Is this for example which ena-
bled tho housekeeping contrary ~ the district
| 70 forward IN truly mGgnanimpus manner the
prosperity ~ the district. In not ineonsldernhlo
sum. which flowed into the company Golfers
from Gothonhurg. When once the bare lands
! Of the district stand clothed with woods when
home industry can build its nest IN the peas
ants house; when public instruction begins 10
bear FRUIT, then. PERHAPS. II Will be- found that
Inc same also holds good Of the benefits which,
with their rich opportunities. have been pro-
lucnd ana yet are 10 De produce we hope. in
GMh"nbcrg's own precincts
There are not wanting voices In Gothenhurg
which M first spoke against tho rev sysiem, and
TINS was quite natural; Tor great interests were
| tou'hoi by II; but these voices nre now mostly
silent; at lrast they are not remarked in any
quarter which soems 20 deserve notice. That
| the inlng should arouse opp ositlon, even in
| stockholm, was not - be wondered at and IL
complaints came from former drinking shop
Keepers and retailers. who all at once saw them
selves deprived Of "a livelihood there nil ht be
sympathy for them. But when the opposition
comes from colossal brandy company. which
strives 10 inonopolzcto iisrlfthe liquor bus ness
OF the whole Kingdom lis complaints and out
cries are 10 be received in another manner. II is
Impossible 10 symputhiIe with this company.
aud We may well be angry over the sensel-ss
iamil lar expression. il seeks to hinder the com
munity OF the capital from acromIl fishing a
social reform, which will without any doubt IL
1t In Tightly managed. NE bless ny to the whole
Ing the capital abundant means Of carrying out
many important general enterprises which
there stand on the order Of the day
|