Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-12-11
ALCOHOL A LA SWISS.
RESULTS OF SIN YEARS OPERATION
OF THE MONOPOLY PLAN.

Readers Because of the Fact That Some
what similar Methods Are Proposed IL
Parts OF This Country.
The particular method of dealing with
the alcohol question which is now adopt
sd in Switzerland is discussed by Mr.. W.
Milliet of Berne in a recent publication
of the American Academy of Political
and Social Science.
There is. il seems, no appreciable cur
rent of opinion among the Swiss in favor
of total abstinence, considered either as
a 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 II 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 1897.
This has accomplished two things. 1t
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 rs 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 a 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 distillcrs themselves. The effect Of
/ these small stills was TO make the daily
drinking Of ''schnapps," Us 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 III 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, 400 large and small distilleries
have been suppressed by appropriation.
From the remaining co or 20 disullcries.
| the monopoly administration Is the only
purchaser. The product does not 20 Iii
rectly from tistiiler to purchaser. Tie
/ administration takes 1t under fixed CON
ditions and brings 1t back to the trade
only after it has been duly rcctified. OF
the profits Of the monopoly, one-tcnth,
now amounting to about $40. COO a year,
nut be applied 10 the struggle with al
coholism-that Is TO say, to the Inaintc-
nance Of the poor and the insane whose
misfortuneS may be traced TO that NAL
( adv.
Now as TO the effect of tine monopoly
on the quantity of spirits consumed. In
1885 the consumption Of distilled liquors
per capita was 1926 iters; in 1891 it was
only Csc. \ 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. Tho
decreased consumption Is obviously due
not only 10 the extinction Of private
stills but TO the fact that 4 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 70 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 fermentcd liquors was
lowered by relieving them from certain
excise duties. So far as wine Is con-
cerncd no marked change took place i'll
the volume Of consumption between lSS5
and 1890. This is attributed, however,
TO the remarkable decline Of the home
production in the period named, de
cline which Lad 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 Eters per capita to - liters.
showing IN advance of some - per cent.
So far rs the Swiss experiment has gone,
il seems to show the possibility Of sup
planting to = considerable extent the use
of ardent spirits by that of thoSc fer
mcntcd liquors, such as beer. which colt
tain relatively little alcohol. New
/ Work SIM