San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-07-31
ALCOHOL A La SWISS.
RESULTS OF SIX YEARS OPERATION
OF THE MONOPOLY PLAN.


what Similar Methods Are Proposed In
Parts of This Country.
The particular method of dealing with
the alcohol question which is now adopt.
ed in Switzerland is discussed by Mr.. w.
Milliet of Berne in recent publication
of the American Academy of Political
and Social Science.
There is, it seems, no appreciate cur
rent of opinion among the Swiss in favor
of total abstinence, considered either as
voluntary act or as the outcome Of
prohibitory legislation. 1t is true that
by an amendment of the federal consti-
tuition passed in 1885 the cantonal leg
islatures acquired the power of restrict
ing the number of places for the sale of
liquor within their respective jurisdic-
tions. The power has ostensibly been
exercised in IA cantons, but even in
these, taken as a whole, the number of
taverns has somewhat increased.
No substantial result, therefore, has
followed the concession of restrictive
power. Such is not the case with the
alcohol monopoly introduced in 1887.
This has accomplished two things. It.
has greatly improved the quality of the
distilled liquors consumed in Switzer-
land, and has caused marked reduction
in the use of them. The primary aim Of
the monopoly was to bring about the
substitution of fermented for distilled
liquors, and short as is the period dur
ing which the experiment has lasted the
results are encouraging.
Before the creation of the alcohol mo-
nopoly, Switzerland suffered from the
practice of peddling distilled liquors
and from the existence of multitude
of small stills in agricultural districts.
The product of these stills, by reason of
the primitive methods of manufacture
and the absence of rectifcation, was ex-
cluded from the general market and
was consequently consumed by the peas
ant distillers themselves. The effect of
these small stills was to make the daily
drinking of 'schnapps," as the domestic
raw liquor is called, almost universal
among farmers and agricultural labor
ers. 1t was the alarming spread of alco-
holism that ensued which brought about
the change in the federal constitution
whereby limited rights of interference
with the liquor traffic were granted to
the authorities, both federal and can
tonal
Since the creation of the alcohol mo-
nopoly, 1 400 large and small distilleries
have been suppressed by appropriation.
From the remaining 60 or 70 distilleries,
the monopoly administration is the only
purchaser The product does not go di-
rectly from distiller to purchaser. The
administration takes it under fixed con-
ditions and brings it back to the trade
only after it has been duly rectified Of
the profits of the monopoly, one-tenth,
now amounting to about $40, 900 a year,
NUT be applied to the struggle with al
coholism-that is to say, to the mainte
nance of the poor and the insane whose
misfortunes may be traced to that NAL
ady.
Now as to the effect of the monopoly
on the quantity of spirits consumed. In
1885 the consumption of distilled liquors
per capita was 1926 liters; in 1891 it was
only 632. A part of this decrease is due
to the cessation of smuggling of distilled
liquors from Switzerland into the ada
cent countries. But after reasonable de-
auctions on that score have been made,
it is estimated that the shrinkage in the
use of ardent spirits by the Swiss them
selves is not less than % per cent. The
decreased consumption is obviously due
not only to the extinction of private
stills, but to the fact that higher price
must be paid for the product of distil-
leries. The joint effect of diminished
consumption and of the greatly improved
quality of the liquors sold is expected
soon to show itself in the statistics of al
cohOlism.
We have said that the purpose of the
Swiss legislature was not to abolish the
use of distilled liquors, but gradually to
supplant it by that of wine or beer. To
that end, while the price of spirits was
raised, that of fermented liquors was
lowered by relieving them from certain
excise duties. So far as wine is con-
cerned no marked change took place in
the volume of consumption between 1885
and 1890. This is attributed, however,
to the remarkable decline of the home
production in the period named, a de-
cline which had to be made good by i'm
portation.
In the case of beer, on the other hand,
the effect of the liquor monopoly on the
habits of the Swiss people is unmistak-
able. The consumption of beer in Swift
zerland increased between 1885 and 1890
from SO liters per capita to As liters,
showing an advance of some % per cent.
So far as the Swiss experiment has gone,