The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1893-04-11
A Novel Idea
Is Being Tried.

While saloons and gambling house:
are attracting present public attention
in the city, the following from yester.
days Oregonian will be read with in
terest by many, as presenting some
ideas that are somewhat novel at least
South Carolina is the first American
state to adopt a modification of the
Gothenburg system of controlling the
liquor traffic. One town in New York
has decided to experiment with 1t, by
giving but one license under strict reg
ulations, the license being given to a
citizen interested in temperance instead
chusetts the question is before the leg
islature, but will probably not be set
tied at this session. South Carolina,
however, has been committed to the
experiment, unless he law be declared
unconstitutional by the supreme court.
Attorneys for the liquor dealers have
advised them to obey the law, as they
believe it to be constitutional, yet a
test case will doubtless be made. If the
law is upheld, after the list of July
all liquor lawfully sold In the state will
be vended by state officers in state
saloons. How far the principles OF the
Gothenburg system have been adopted
this new law Is not certain, In the
absence of the text of the measure, but
there is doubtless strict provision for
purity of the liquor, hours of it's sale,
methods of managing business, class of
persons to whom 1t may be sold, price
disposition of the profits, etc. In Nor
way, where the system was imported
from Sweden q number of years ago,
the profits are expended upon the pub
lie highways, and the drink roads,
that wind up the mountain sides of
hat country are specimens of fine en-
cheering and cost far more money
han would ever have been expended
lpon them by direct taxation.
Here is a suggestion to those Amer
lean states, like u own, whose miser-
.ble public highways are in an almost
mpassible condition several months in
he year, and never as good as they
should be. A great deal has been said
about making new and better roads,
but the enormous cost of such roads as |
should be built prevents the taxpayers
from undertaking the task. The pro-
fits of the liquor business, above q fair
interest on the capital invested, would |
in a few years gridiron the entire coun-
try with rock-based turnpikes as last
ing as the Roman roads of England.
By taking the liquor business out of
miscellaneous hands and intrusting it
to special companies, as In Norway and
Sweden, or to state officials, as South |
Carolina has decided to do, the profits
of the business could be diverted to the
public treasury, not only for the build
ing of roads, but for the reduction of
general taxation, The elimination OF
the saloon as a political factor would
not be the least OF the benefits of this
system of state control Of saloons.
IN sweden ana Norway the sale of
liquor is let under bonds to incorpo-
rated companies, and all profits above
8 per cent are paid into the public
treasury. The stock of these compan-
les is held a little above par, since 5 per
cent is a good return for capital there,
and It would be held higher still were
1t not for the right possessed by the
municipality to buy 1t at par at any
time The bar-keepers are all employed
on salary, and have no interest in work.
Ing for an increase OF consumption. 1t
is claimed for this system. that it de-
drinking, prevents carousing,
banishes low dives and groggeries,
keeps liquor away from boys, abolishes