The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-04
with all the differences from the usual sur
roundings. spirits are still freely obtaina-
BILE: the man who Xants to drink may drink:

| Die; the man VINO wants TO drink in"y "i''" :
"Tns question OF personal proft from tue tracing S'
s,,a ~ .ns y. ,sn hsr, b.yond
senuIn, llouor. Th.r. nv, no bright, comfortable gin
palaces seductive barms,ds to attract tho thirty
soul. The bars arc simply plain rooms n'''" WV"
anu l'f So ,.,,sr On N,
ist,. They must drink and leave Immediately.
The business is strictly for cash. aud there Is no
ebalsins up OF scores against pay "a,. ~,
w, ,o. ,,,", =. W." m,, rhl,dr.n are
not p.rm,tted upon the premises and therefore
cannot be used as messengers. Youths younger than
sixteen or seventeen ar. no. served ony
aas., y. Nv 0u' 49,, ,." .,,n,on of tho bor
tender would be ike,y to produce intOxcstion. Tho
prices Of liquors not expensive than Def re-
only men OF trustworthy character are sppoh'e1 ""
""u 1na sa'. -" Mrp'o ., nunn.r TO- den
,,nca,ion in cas-, Of eomplant"
Soma otbcr r.sr,,s obtained nrc very
strikipy In Gothcn,mro the annual con-
enmn,ion ~ sn,rits nor bead of popula-
tion fell from $3.50 litres in 1876 to 1905
| litres in 1890 Cnscs Of delirium tremens
have in scventeen wears fallen from 1871
| veurly tn 40. which. counting tho in
creosc in nonulation ia n decline of about
sixty nor cont. In the town OF Bergen the
arrests for drunkenness fell from l,O13 in
| 1877 to 100 in 1889. and the use OF liquors has
largely decreased. The home consumption
| Of ardent spirits in tho whole of Norway
fell from -, 900 900 litrcs in 1876 to $500 900
litres In 1897. Goncrnl testimony Of COM
| netent observers Ia riyen upon the marked
mnrovenent in the popular habits. and
the reduction In opparent poverty and mis-
erv. which latter. Mr., WILSON says. lis not
q 1.-THE 80 prevalent MS in English towns Of
similar size" In considering these re-
ports ono must remember that numerous
other forces which attend the progress Of
civilization are also entitled to credit. Al
lowing for these, however, it is conceded
that the Gothenburr system represents
public benefit that Is distinct and real.
or profits that have accrued to the COM
munitics through tho disposition Of the
Profits from the liquor business, Mr..
BROOKS tells much that is interesting. For
example. Bergen. town Of fifty Thousand
inhabitants has in thirteen years received
nearly four million dollars which. under the
old system, would have gone to the dis
tillers and private liquor dealers.
But this fact Of the community benefit
ing SO largely from the liquor business
constitutes ono OF the great dangers OF the
Gothcnburg SYSTEM 1t is greatly to the
interest Of the taxpayers to have the liquor
sales as large as possible, because this
lightens other taxation. This difficulty
has been dealt with In q variety OF ways.
In Norway the taxpayers interest is mado
rs slight and indirect as possible. The
liquor profits are used as far as possible
In public improvements. The establish
ment of parks. baths. reformatories. tech-
meal schools. even improved workmen's
dwellings. are few of the things on which
tho liquor revenue is spent.
At the same time Mr.. BROOKS admits the
existence OF serious objections to the Swed-
ish plan. He does not think the best hope
it offers to us lies in the actual lessening OF
sales. Rather tho system. as compared
with private selling gives basis for an
aggressive and efficient education of public
opinion upon the liquor question. He does
not think the system could be introduced
In any OF our large cities. The alliance
of rum and politics" would stiile any
effective agitation Of the question. He in
stances Boston, where he says the rum in
tercst represents above ninety million dol
lars. and adds: I'VE know what this
means for dcbased city management" He
does not think our larger cities are
now in tho keeping OF officials who
could be intrnstcd with the large revenue
from liquor sales. All OF which must lie
taken for what it is worth. Mr.. BROOKS
would first apply tho plan to smal'e r COM
muntics where an intelligent and vigorous
temperance sentiment already exists. and
would try 1t not rs n "solutlon " but as an
experiment. He thinks In cities like Cam
bridge, Brockton. and Haverhill. Mass, that
are able for successive years to vote pro-
hibition. the plan might we'll be tried. So
go. -. ,,a .,,,,,..o,,,,, ,,,i;.io,I aon.ul,