The New South., 1893-06-17
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
oelNK AmoNo THE SWISS.
now the Governments Tries 20 Regulate the
Consumption Of Ligaors.


now she Government TRIES 10 Regulate the
Consumption Of Ligaors-
The progress made IN Switzerland, In
its experiment in the reduction u the
amount Of distilled liquors consumed
by It's people, is discussed in recent
publication 81 the American Academy
os Political and Social Science, By ~
MiiIief, u Berne. Il may be remarked,
by way u preface. that there IS no aI,-
parent public opinion in favor Of total
abstinence. Hence the experiment re-
fcrred to does not proceed upon the
line OF prohibition. II does not seek TO
keep the Swiss people from drinking,
but to change their drink. Instead OF
drinking distilled spirits the law aims
10 teach the Swiss 10 drink beer and
wine instead.
1t Is true that in 1855 there was an
amendment TO the federal constitution
whereby the legislatures Of the cantons
were given the power 70 restrict the
number Of places wherein liquor is sold
in their respective Jurisdictions; but 50
far only fourteen Of the twenty-five
cantons have exercised any authority
under that provision, and in them,
taken as whole, the number Of drink
ing places has been somewhat increased
since 1888. SO 1t will be seen that the
restrictive power has not been exercised
70 any great extent.
The effort 70 reduce the consumption
Of distilled liquors, and replace them,
as lar as possible, BY beer and wine, be-
gan in 1851 by giving 70 the general
government monopoly of the sale of
all distilled spirits. Before that year
there existed an enormous nurlper Of
small still-honses in the agricultural
districts. These were Of an exceedingly
primitive character, were run bT the
peasants themselves, and produced a
very crude quality OF raw spirits, which
was consumed by the peasants Of the
vicinity, because the quality was so
poor that 1t could not be sold in the
general market,
According to Nj Milliet, IL was the
rapid spread of drunkenness among
the peasants, caused by drinking
s'schnapps," as they called this crude
and fiery liquor, which caused the gov
ernment TO take the trade in distilled
liquors into its own hands, and make
monopoly Of il. His enumeration Of
tho results of that action is significant.
Since 1857, there have been ] 400 distil-
leries, large and small, suppressed by
the government, and only 80 or 70 re-
main. Their product is purchased on
" by the government. 1t is reetified
while in its possession, and then sold
to dealers In 1855, the consumption
of distilled spirits in Switzerland was
1926 liters per capita; in 1891, it had
dropped 6.s2 liters per head. The CON
sumption OF these liquors is thus re-
duced, the quality is improved, and the
price is made higher
The rise in the price was made in
tentionally, for two reasons: to dimin-
ish the amount used, and to create a
fund ont OF the governments profits
on its monopoly for the maintenance of
the paupers, insane and imbeciles
whose misfortunes can be traced back
to the drink habit one.tenth of the
profits is set aside as fund for this
purpose, and it produced about sl40, 900
per year.
The use of wine and beer, instead of
| spirits, was also favored by relieving
them OF certain excise duties, and thus
cheaper them to consumers. While
not much change has been made SO far
In the volume of consumption OF wine,
| TINT OF beer shows decided Increase
from 80 liters per capita in 1885, TO As
liters per capita in $500, or about 25 per
cent
| 1t would seem that the day of total
abstinence among the Swiss is still far
distant. Whether it viii ever come will
depend upon those whose duty it is to
educate the rising generation. So far
as the government has gone, it has sim
ply demonstrated the possibility Of sup
planting to considerable extent the
use OF arduous spirits by that of vinous
and fermented liquors, whose per cent.
of alcohol is much smaller. But this by
no means removes the danger of men
contracting the drink habit, nor does
it shield the community from the pau
perism, insanity, idiocy, vice ard crime
which are the resultants Of public
drunkenness. The education of the
people is the first great step, and really
the principal step, in any effort to abol-
ish the manufacture and sale Of rum,
and TO pulverize the rum power.-To-
ledo Blade.