Kansas City daily journal., 1896-11-28
The LIQUOR Qncstion in Russia.


From the Boston Herald.
The liquor question can hardly ba called
a live issue in Russia, because that would
imply the existence of a freedom of public
discussion which is not possible in the
empire OF TIE czar. But to the very
capable set of men who conduct the czar's
government, and who are not changed
with the frequency common TO more demo-
cratic states, the liquor question has been
for years a subject OF careful study.
Drunkenness is the curse If the Russian
peasant. and paternal government. which
expelled the Jews 10 protect the peasants
against their wiles, can hardly be indifrer-
ent to the agencies that are supposed to
promote the drinking habits OF the simple
minded children of the Czar Probably
ignorant of the abject failure of the state
OF South Carolina to make a success of
a government monopoly of the liquor busi
ness. the Russian administration has un-
dertaken the control of the manufacture
and sale of alcoholic beverages. Wine and
beer it does not touch, but all forms OF
spirits must be distilled and rectified under
its supervision. and sold through its es-
tablished agencies.
The Russian government has set about
this business with a full appreciation of
the magnitude of the problem it has at
tackled. II the business yields as much
a year. the experiment will be deemed a
success, but it is not expected that the
government monopoly will be universal
throughout the empire in less than ten or
fifteen years. The immediate purpose is,
first, to provide a guarantee that only
pure spirits are sold, and, next. that they
are sold under conditions least calculated
to promote drunkenness. 1t is proposed
to discourage the country drinking shop
Oh,
only at the price at which they are pur-
chased from the government depot, and to
reduce TO a minimum in the towns the
places where the sale of drink by the glass
is the chief business Russia consumes
annually $4,000 hectoliters of alcohol. or
about SS,OJ00O0 gallons. This is rather less
than the average consumption of the
United States. 1t is calculated that the
consumption may decrease 20 per cent
without affecting the amount of revenue
which the new system is calculated to
produce.
On the 1st of January, 1895, the system
was established in four provinces of the
| empire, having a population of 100000. or
10 per cent of the whole On the 1st of
July last, it was extended to nine other
provinces. with a population of 21,OOO,0OO;
| on the 1st of January, 1897, it will be es-
| tablished in another seven, with 1900 coo
iIlLIdbLtdItS, anu OH lhe lSI VI JdHudTSr
| 1898, it will take in Poland, with another
| 100000. By 1898, therefore, the system
will be in operation over the most populous
| part of Russia, and will apply to 49. 600, 900
| people. The price at which liquor shall be
sold is fixed by the imperial council. with
the approval of the emperor, and varies
| somewhat for different provinces. At the
places where it is exposed for sale. it can
| be had only in closed bottles and TASKS
| bearing the wax seal of the state, and a
| ticket Indicating the quantity. the degree
| of strength and the price. The liquor can
| not be consumed at the place where it is
| purchased. The "dispensary'' system, with
limitations, is. in short, the Russian plan,
| and it will be interesting to see whether
| it decreases drunkenness, only at the cost
| of increasing corruption.
For that revelation. however, the world
| will have to wait some time.