Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-10-31
The Gothenburg NIethod.

lAIuu tub new lOIh lllntHt zuln lust
1t is little singular that none Of our
American cities and towns have given the
Gothenburg system of regulating the sale and
use Of intoxicating liquors trial. Reports
from Sweden indicate that though looked up
on at first as n doubtful experiment, it has so
far proved successful that nearly every town
in the Kingdom has adopted it, Probably,
most of our readers know that the scheme is
one by which the local government shall en-
ter into the liquor trade, TO the extent that il
desgnates who shall sell liquor and then
takes TO itself all the profit there is in the
business over six per cent, which margin is
given to the dealer to pay for his time, the
capital he advances, and possibly to cover
bad debts. II the city is not too large the
entire wholesale liquor trade of the place is
given to one company, and this organization
lets out the retail establishments to those
whom the local government approves. As
the profits are small, liquor licenses are not
in great demand, and in Gothenburg n city
of nearly 20, 1000 inhabitants only 81 of these
have been taken out No doubt these places
do good business, but as the share of the
owner of the establishment in the sales made
is very small, there is no direct or indirect
pressure put upon customers to force them
into drinking more than they can prudeutly
take. The small rate of profit to the dealer
hhn hAop Aut NhttA VI preventing llllNll suites
of liquor. As he cannot make much money,
it is matter of comparative indifference to
him whether the government profits greatly.
The sales. both wholesale and retail are
therefore made at a small advance over cost
and purchasers who know that they can get
the full worth of their money by going to a
regularly licensed store or shop are not like
ly TO patronize secret dealers. Indeed, ex-
perience has shown that irregular transac-
tions in this business have been almost COM
pletely suppressed not so much by govern
mental interference as through the absence
of profit coming from small sales made upon
a very narrow margin But what has rec
ommcnded the plan to the various local gov
ernments of Sweden is the steady and CON
siderable income it has afforded. Although,
as stated above, liquors are sold at low
price, all the lower on account Of the CON
centration of the trade there is nevertheless
sufficient profit in the business to bring in an
nually to the local governments quite hand
some revenue. This, in some Instances. is
used in supporting the public schools and in
others in laying out and beautifying public
gardens 1t is not to be denied that the sys-
tenn has its defects, for while it acts as a
check upon drunkenness, 1t gives to drink
ing a certain standing and respectability for
the government shops are so orderly that
great part of the old stigma is removed from
them. 1t is also questionable how far gov
ernment should regulate and profit by the
vices of community, and it has been limited
that the logical conclusion of this practice
would be to put another social evil of worse
type under similar regulations. However, it
is probable that the profits arising to munich
palities and townships ont of the Gothenburg
plan of control will be strong rccommcnda-
tion for it to our American legislators.