Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-02-29


to before long, if our great middle class Is to
live comfortably and satisfactorily within It's
resources.
TIE LIQt0E TRAFFIC. CURIOUS EXPER.
MEM.
AS tie liquor question is one OF omuipres
ent interest in this country, it is pertinent to
note the various methods through which the
older civilizations of Europe deal with the
matter. 4 novel and interesting scheme is
that known as the "Gothcnburg SYSTEM" so
called from tic Swedish city in which it
originated. lntcmperancc has for ages been
the nationa. vice Of Sweden and about a
generation ago-just about the period at
which our Vermont lroh5itory law
was cnacied-puJlic sentiment in re-
gard TO the evil became 30 strong that re-
strictiyc liquor laws were passed. These
prohibited all but steam distilories imposed
heavy tax upon these aud restricted their
manufacture to only part of the year.
while kind of "local option provision en-
abled any community to prohibit the liquor
traffic entirely, The result Of these meas
ures was state Of giTars which has become
very familiar one IN our own country.
The law worked admirably in the country,
but very indiiIcrcntly in the cities In the
latter it was far from being success, indeed,
and twenty years ago the city Government Of
Gothcnburg was induced to appoint COM
m 10 to Al.
and propose measures for their removal or
mitigation. This commission reached the
familiar conclusion that drunkenness was
the chief cause Of the prevailing misery and
distress, but the remedy which they
proposed vas entirely new. They ad-
vised that the retailing OF intoxicating
liquors be given INTO tie hands Of a stock
company, which should be formed for the
purpose, not Of making money, but of regu-
latiug their use and preventing their abuse.
The scheme thus formulated was promptly
carried into practical effect \ company
was formed, which consisted of number of
the most prominent, respectable and public
spirited business men and citizens. AS soon
as the licenses Of forty Of the sixty saloons
expired, the company bought them from the
city, paid the legal taxes and promised to
devote Tie entire net profits for the benefit
OF the working classes. y number Of the
saloons were at once closed and the COM
pauy pledged itself to keep the rest clean,
wcll-hghtcd ard ventilated, and to make
them at tie same time cosy and inviting
eatng-houses fol working people, where they
might procure good, wholesome, warm meals
at small price. A reputable person was
put in charge of each saloon, who sold
tue liquor under the supervision of the
company's agents, and had no person.
al interest whatever in the traffic,
while he was given oil the profits from the
sale of ealeblas. coffee, cigar, soda water aud
a weak kind If beer. The saloon-kceper
was thus made financially interested in en-
couraging the purchase Of the harmless,
rather than the injurious, articles offered for
sale. He was permitted under no circum-
stances to sell intoXicauts to any one under
eigh''c. years Of age, or to any one already
under the influence If liquor, nor was lie al
lowed To- sell IN credit, or 10 take anything
in lawn for dliuk, Other regulations for
Lade the sale ot liquor after O'clock in the
evening in winter on O'Clock in summer,
while on Saturdays no liquor could be sold
after O'clock, and on Sundays ard holidays
none except the appetizer" as one drink
with meal is called, Agents were appoint
cd by the company 10 see that AL these rules
were strictly emf need. The system went
into effect in 1866, and the profits
from the saloons (Which were turned
over to The municipal treasury. were
Sl4 SD, which increased to $50,
,Ol in 1872 and Sis, 2G2 in lS7G-the
company having gained control Of all the
saloons in the city. Almost from the time
that the company secured this full control,
however, the profits have fallen of, for the
excellent reason that less liquor is consumed
from year to year. The sale in 1876 reached
G71, 39G quarts While in 1881 it had sunk by
n steady diminu'ion to only j23, 800 quarts
"A falling or Of almost one quarter within
six years, though during this period the pop
ulation was rapidly increasing The police
statistics show that the number OF arrests for
has diminished in the last
twenty wears by more than one-half, despite |
the large growth Of population and the cases
of delirum tremers recorded sunk from 1lS |
in 1865 to s0in 1915 and only Al In 1880 |
So manifest did the benefits Of the system
soon become, that II was not long confined |
to the city Of its origin, and it is now in
force in every considerable city but one in
Sweden, as well as many in Norway, and
with uniformly good results
OF course the Golhcuburg system is who'll
ly impracticabe in this country, but there
is at least one moral that can he drawn from
it, and that is the necessity of providing a
rival for the rumshop--a lesson which many
people in this country have not yet thorough
ly learned.