The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-09-25
IN SCANDINAVIA.
THE GoTHENBURG LICENSING sYs.
TEN OF PROMOTING TEMPERANCE.
Chat with the Originator Of the New
Laws-For the Good of the Working
Glasses Some Surprising
Results.

Robert Porter's Gothenburg Letter.l
Through the politeness Of Capt @. W.
Schroeder. our vice consul was introduced
to s. A Hedlund, proprietor and editor OF
The Gothenburg Commercial and Shipping
Journal, and Mauritz Rubenson, associate
editor Of the same journal. Under the par
sonal guidance OF these gentlemen was en-
allied 20 learn many interesting facts relat-
ing to the several peculiar institutions of
Gothenburg. Mr.. Hedlund, who Is well
known throughout the United States, Is the
father OF the Gothenburg licensing system,
which, from the beginning Of this town, has
spread throughout Scandinavia, and at the
present moment is being studied by the so
cial scien fists OF many other countries
In reply to Mr.. Hedlund's earnest request
to know what he could do for me, said:
"Tell me all about the Gothenburg licensing
system. its origin, its object and the degree
OF success attending II"
"Well." said he, "the Swedes as you
doubtless know, drink good deal Of brandy.
With the exception OF Denmark, AMI per-
haps the Netherlands we consume per capita
greater quantity Of spirits than any other
country in the world It is needless for me
to discuss the craving for brandy and It's
immoderate consumption in Sweden. Until
landowner in Sweden possessed the right to
distill Swedish brandy, a spirit made from
grain or potatoes containing so per cent Of
alcohol The country was on the verge Of
ruin from the deluge Of spirits pouring
forth from myriads Of small distilleries.
There was well-nigh public house to every
cottage"
A NEW SYSTEM.
@What was the first step to remedy this
condition Of affairsi"
"ln 1855 new laws for egulating the d Is
tilling and sale OF spirits came into force.
The object was to increase the difficulty of
procuring Intoxicating drinks By this law
1t was left to the communes to decide not
only in what manner and within what
limits it should DO carried on, but even
whether it might take place at all within
their Jurisdiction. This paved the way for
the Gothsnburg system, as it Is termed"
"How did that originator
"The laws Of 1855 did not reach the core
Of the question, especially in the towns.
The rural districts were, undoubtedly, bone
fited. Drink threatened to sap the life
blood Of the towns. On holidays and Sun
days troops Of drunken people might have
been seen reeling about the streets Of this
very town, while within the saloons the
enacted. With population Of about 81, ,000
nearly 3, 500 persons were annually arrested
and fined for drunkenness-10 per cent Of
the population arrested. But these figures
do not give an adequate idea CT the evils
arising from immoderate brandy drinking.
They must be looked for In the nature and
extent OF pauperism; in the deplorabls phys
ical, moral and economic condition into
which a creator part of the poorer popula-
tion, not only Of Gothenburg. but all the
towns Of Sweden had been plunged. Con.
scious of this condition OF affairs and being
at the same time q member Of the munic-
ipal council Of Gothenburg introduced a
resolution March 81, 1864 proposing to ap-
point a committee for investigating the
octual condition of pauperism in the town.
A year later the committee presented with
its report plan Of "a new system for or
ganizing the liquor traffic in Gothenburg."
THE POORER CLASSES.
aAt the time of your Investigation and re-
port, what was the condition Of the working
classes Of Gothenburgi"
"We satisfied ourselves that intemperance
Ia not caused by the cravings Of a coarse
sensuaiity alone. That the trsacherous
quality Of brandy to warm. IL but for a
time, the shivering and thinly clad frame,
to assusge the gnawings Of hunger, to stim-
ulats the failing strength Of the over worked
and poverty-stricken, are reasons both for
its use and abuse too often overlooked by
temperance reformers. Squalid, unhealthy
dwellings. wretched clothing. poor and in
sufficient food-all these combined produce
a state Of detection and debility, moral and
physical. which persons who have ipvesti-
gated the subject consider leading cause
Of drunkenness among the poorer classes.
suffering as they do from want and mani
fold privation."
1How did the idea that the town should
undertake the sale Of liquor first occur to
the committoei"
In the first place we had little faith in
the various plan, proposed, which, as you
know, vary from high license and limiting
the hours OF sale to prohibition. One Of the
strongest arguments for keeping up public
houses, at least to a certain amount, was
that there must be sufficient number OF
places where workingmen can purchase
food This was likewise brought forw ard
as a weighty objection to Sunday Or holiday
closing. This undoubtedly suggested the
idea OF turning the saloons into eating
houses and making the sale OF drink Incl
dentaLn ....
@How was this doner
@By transferring the saloon licenses to o
company, consisting Of persons who engage
In the undertaking, not for the sake OF profit,
but solely for the good of the working
classss The members Of the company can
not lay claim to any profits, which, as soon
as all expenses Of management, as well as
per cent annual interest on the capital in
vested in it by the shareholders. have been
paid, shall be annually made over to the
town treasury"
"What has been the effect OF the systemf"
ut has reduced the number Of public
houses from about sixty to twenty five. and
these de facto eating houses are healthy,
light and roomy. Relatively speaking, the
annual arrests for drunkenness, have de-
clined more than half. In Is75-78 the sale
of spirits reached their greatest height. and
since has steadily declined. No one the least
intoxicated ca procure . spirituous drink
in Gothenburg-no youth under Is years;
nor 10 it sold op Sunday, except the usual
dram before dinner Il ...z. .s......--
FOOD AND DRINK. -.....
4 visit to the company's eating houses not
only gives ono good idea Of what the
Swedes drink, but what they eat also. These
places are roomy stores, neatly furnished,
with small wooden tables. at each OF which
are two chairs The tariff for everything Is
regulated, even to the preparation Of the
toddy, for in the y-laws / read. sThs man-
ager Ia bound TO put two cubic inches OF
spirituous liquor or wine In each glass" and
again, @Whenever sugar Is required. for
cognsc, rum, arrack, or gin, the manager
shall claim one ore (about . quarter Of .
cent for each cubic inch Of the aforesaid
spirituous liquor A glass OF purified
Swedish brandy costs ore about centsl.
Il Is Is clear and white a. filtered water,
tastes much better than cheap whisky, and
Q glass consists Of two cubic inche& The
obsap4st beverage ever drank was ths
cc-zE.cr r--s vnsco c0s1 sros> ass. = os.,
. mug. tM@
Several sample dinners were placed befors
us to taste, 4 large plate Of boiled or fried
6sh and potatos. og OF veal eqtlsts and po-
tatoes, cost ~ ore (about = centj, These
were really substantial dishes, thoroughly
well cooked ard cleanly served. As rule
the managers Of these places are women
The meals are served by clean-looking and
neatly dressed girls who are exceed
ingIy polite % strangerA especially
Foreigners. end courtey a. bewitch-
ingly as the milk maid ip Patience
The manager binds bamsslf to SUP.
ply the public with good and wellsprsr
pared foo, cold or warm. including coffee
tea cocoa mineral water. cigars, etc, on
his own account He further binds himself
to sell spurious liquors and wines only Tor
cash pai On the spot; not TO sell to persons