The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-12-26
SALOON IN NORWAY
THE CONSUMPTION OFLIOUORS
DECREASING.
Things About 1t That Pleased a
Reverend Visitor.

The members of the literary society
of the school for Christian workers
enjoyed rich treat in hearing the
first fruits of DR.. Moxom's experiences
with Norwegian saloons and the Co
thenburg system, says the Springfield
Republican. II saw something of the
workings of the system in Sweden and
Norway" DR.. Moxom said. II visited
more saloons last summer than l had
seen before in my life. 1 examined
the liquors carefully, found out what
kinds were sold, how much they cost.
what kinds were most sold and how
many glasses man can buy. In Ber-
gen there are in the neighborhood of
dozen places where liquor is sold by
the glass or bottle. Each is a plain
room, perfectly clean, without even a
picture on the wall. There is not even
chair in the room except stool be-
hind the counter for the official in
charge. He is respectable man,
probably member of the church. On
the walls are printed the rules of the
company, which all must obey. If a
man asks for aqua vita he lays down
his coin-there is no credit-and pure.
undrugged spirit is. poured out for
him. He is not allowed to remain in
the room, and if he wants another
glass he is told to come back in three
hours. The glass is so small that he
might take glass every three hours
in the day and not get drunk. A work
ing man cannot take nip on his way
to work, for the saloons do not open
till s, nor at noon, for the saloons
close at II to 100 o'clock. The hour
for closing in winter is 1870, and in
summer o'clock. The day before a
holiday they close at noon, and they
are closed before the workingmen are
paid OFT. No man can make a cent
from the business. The man behind
the counter is employed for his per-
sonal character. He gets fairly good
salary, but not cent from the bust
ness. If he deviates from the rules of
the company he is bounced at once.
lie is promoted for. making as small
sales as possible. The policy of the
whole system is to crowd down the
consumption of alcohol. In 1876 the
per capita consumption was 3SQuartS:
in 1892 it was reduced to 3.3 quarts.
Norway and Sweden were the NEST
drunken countries in Europe; now
Norway is three times as sober at the
United States. 1t is the exact reverse
of license system, under which the
licensed dealers stimulate trade as
much as possible to get back the mon
ey they have paid for their licenses. I
think it would be better to have free
whisky than such license as we have
in many American cities. The differ
ence between that and this is as great
as the difference between day and
night. The Norwegian system elimi-
mates politics entirely. 1t has been
argued that it makes drunkenness re-
spectacle, but it's effect has been to
elevate the public spirit and array it
against drunkenness. The system has
been recognized as working against
the monster of drink, and it has be-
come less respectable to patrOnize a
saloon. Many people maintain" DR..
Moxom continued, in taking up the
objections presented, that having
anything to do with liquor in any way
is sin. The position is absolutely
untena5le. There is no basis i n ethics
that will justify the proposition that
per Sc the taking of alcohol is sin. 1t
is certainly sin to take it in excess,
but the abstract question cannot by
any possibility be based on this
ground. II we cannot kill the evil at
a blow it Is the part of righteousness
to conquer it by degrees. If men will
not do that they are not only unprac-
tical, but unrighteous, because they
hinder the welfare of the community.
1t is also urged that many Temperance
people are opposed to it. But unfor-
tunately temperance sentiments are
not always a guarantee Of wisdom.
There are many temperance people
whose sentiments we respect, but
whose ideas are puerile. 1t is also true
that people who derive gain from
liquor are opposed to the law, and we /
had the spectacle of the liquor dealers
and the Woman's Christian Temper
ance union lighting side by side to de-
feat the measure. 1t was a thing to
make angels weep unless they have SO
strong sense OF humor that they could
laugh. 1t is also objected that the
system is not adopted to our uses, but
it is the principle we wish to apply,
and the principle can be applied any
where. Norway and America are not
so unlike but that they can be applied
here. 1t is absurd and cowardiy to
say that we cannotdo it,"
This country has resources suffi-
Gent, according tojthe encyclopedias,
to support in comfort sixty times its
present population. Why, then, are