Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-23
GoTHENBURe SYSTEM FAILS.
Naphtha Drinking a Serious and Growing
Evil in Norway.

Ns"PAA"A4" HAliE u o6fiOuS una GROWING
Evil in Norway.
London Times.
The British vice consul at Skienshora
in his latest report states that during the
past year the time expired for which twN
of the towns in his district-Skien and
Brevig-had the right of having the
Gothenburg system of Bolags, or Sam
lags, for the sale of spirits as a monopo-
ly. According to the new liquor law the
inhabitants of towns have the right of We
tong the further existence of any Bolag
in their town. Both Skien and Brevig
voted by large majoritieS against 1t, SO
that they have no longer those Bolags,
which were so warmly advocated by the
Norwegian press when the question of
the Gothenburg system was fully venti-
lated a short time ago. The fact of the
Bolags having been voted down in sew
eral other towns in Norway besides Skien
and Brevig shows that they are not SO
popular as might be supposed. But it
should be stated that 1t is mainly owing
to the persevering agitation of the teeto-
tai element aided by the women's votes,
that the Samlags are being ousted.
In towns where these institutions are
thus abolished, and where no privileges
for the sale of spirits are still held by
private individuals from former days,
spirits cannot now be bought in smaller
quantities than $50 liters, which practi-
such towns. But in some towns privi-
leges are still held by private individuals.
This is the case in Skien, where the spirit
traffic flourishes undiminlshed, to the
great changrin of those whose zeal has
secured the abolition of the Samlag. But
no sooner are the Samlags abolished,
which is generally effected by agitation,
and gives rise to considerable ill-feeling,
that the press complains that large
sources of income have thus been lost to
a
Samlags were always utilized for the sup
port of charitable institutions and objects
of general local interest, which must now
be maintained by taxing the ratepayers
or else be totally abandoned 1.-The new
Norwegian liquor law may have it's adj
vantages, but when 1t contains clauses
prohibiting the sale, even In the best ho-
tells. of any kind of spirits from Saturday
midday to Monday morning. the law be-
comes inexpedient and onerous. This Is
proved by the fact that the Christiania
police authorities have found Vt wise to
make representations to the government
to obtain the relaxation OF the above
named clause.
to be undergoing a crisis of alteration.
Willing as the Norwegians seem to be to
reduce the sale of spirits to a minimum,
they are scarcely likely to allow OF such
far-reaching encroachments on the per-
sonal liberties of free citizens of a free
country The prohibitions already exist
ing in some districts against the sale of
spirits has already led to evil results in
the shape of the excessive use of naph-
tina by the lower classes and the intro
duction of a class of liquor called 'ladde-
VIM which on analysis quite lately has
been found to contain highly injurious in
gradients, and the sale of which is now
strictly forbidden" The British consur
lar agent at Tonsberg also mentions in
his report that the Samlag In that town
aho hu nIIhlia IN that
five years brandy can not be obtained in
the town.