The New South., 1893-08-05

titled liquors, and. short a. a the pc-
rsod during which the experiment has
lasted. the results are snccars ging.
Before the creation - Tho alcohol
monopoly Switzerland suffered fron
the practice ~ pcddlins distilled liquors
and from the existence Of multitude
81 small stills in agricultural districts
The praSsuet of these stills. by reason
81 the primitive methods ~ nanafae
sare and the absence ot rectifcatinn
was excluded from the general market
and vas consequently consumed by thu
peasfht disiiilerS themselves The ef
feet ef these small stills was 10 make
the daily drinking og ''sehnapps.- a.
the domestic raw liquor ls called. al
most universal among farmers and aee
rioulsural laborerS II WAS the alarm.
ing spread of alcoholism that ensard
which brought about the change la The
federal constitution whereby limited
rights Of interfering with the liquor
traffic were granted 10 the authorities
both federal and cantonal
Since thc creation OF the alcohol mo
nopoly i,soo large and small distillsrles
have been suppressed by appropriation.
From the remaining sixty or seventy
distillsries the monopoly administra.
sion il the only purchaser. The pro
duct does not 60 directly from distillei
10 consumer. The administration takes
II under fixed conditions and brings IL
back 10 the trade only after IL has been
duly rectiiied. 0f the profits OF the
ttt.ss
10 about siaO,o ooe year, must be APP
piled 10 the struggle with alcoholism-
that is 10 say. 20 the maintenance OF
the poor and insane whose misfortnnes
may be trneca 10 that nalady.
Now as to the effect 81 the monopoly
on the quantity of spirits consumed
In 1855 the consumption ~ distilled
liquors per capita was 10 % litres; In
1891 II was only s.aa. A part OF
this decrease Is due 10 the cessation o.
smuggling OF dietiiled liquors from
Switzerland into the adjacent coun.
tries hut after reasonable deductions
ON that Score have been made IL il esti.
mated that the shriniSage In the uso OF
ardent spirits BY tho Swiss themselves
y not less than Is per cent The de-
creased consumption Is ohviously due
not only To the extinction OF private
stills but 10 the fact that higher price
must be paid for the product OF distil.
lers. The joint effect OF diminished
consumption and OF tho greatly inn.
proved quality Of tho liquors@old Ia ex-
pected soon 10 show itself In the Stats.
ties Of alcoholism.
We have said that the purpose of the
Swiss legislature was not TO abolish
the use Of distilled liquors. but gradu.
ally 70 supplant II BY that of wine or
beer, To that end, while the price nf
spirits was raised. that of fermentrd
liquors was lowered by relieving them
from certain excise duties SO far as
wine is concerned no marked change
took place Ia the volume OF conenmp-
tion between 1883 and 1920. This Is AT
tributcd. however, 20 the remarkable
decline Of the home production In the
period named decline which had 10
be made good by importation. In tbs
case of beer, on the other hnnd, the ~.
feet OF the liquor monopoly on the hab'
its OF the swiss people Is unmlstalsable
me cunsuihptfoh oA berf III oNitfrf
land increased between 1856 and 1904
from thirty-six litres por capita Z,
| forty-hye iitres, showing an advanc,
OF some 70 per cent.
So far IA the Swiss experiment ha
gone 1t seems 70 show the possibility .
supplanting 10 considerable extor
the use of nsticnt spirits by that Of thos
~ fermented liquors. such as beer
which contain relatively little alcohol
L ~ Y Ann