The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-07-07

w r. Holloway, Consul General OF the
United States at ST. Petersburg. has fur
nished to the State Department an inter
! esting report concerning the liquor traffic
( in Russia He writes:
The Russian Government has for many
/ years been laboring and discussing means
/ to diminish the almost universal use Of
/ Minister Of Finance put it, to save the
population from the baneful influence OF
/ the innkeepers. who. in order 10 make
J large profits. adulterated their spirits with
noxious and deleterious substances which
We're proving ruinCus 10 the Lover classes
! The average peasant was not content with
remaining in public house until he had
/ spent his last farthing. but often pawned
his clothes. furniture, and future crops
! The public houses were acknowledged to
be the most powerful agents Of ruin and
disorganization in the economic life Of the
Russian people and threatened the impov-
! erishment of the whole agricultural popu-
/ lation'
''0ne Of the first steps toward preventing
the unrestricted sale Of liquor was TO con-
fine its sale to places where food was
required to be furnished with each order
for liquor, in order 70 prevent taking one
drink after another without food; severe
penalties were also provided for selling on
credit for receiving articles in pawn for
drinks, or for bartering spirits for produce
or future labor. etc. The receiving Of stol-
en- property entailed the less OF license.
and provision was made for closing public
! houses that evaded or violated the laws
Tie Government established a number
OF shops IN various parts o: citi s TO- be
sale Of vodki, brandy, and sprits in cor e
bottles. II IL not permitted 10 be drunk
on the premises. but thirsty customers
purchase small bottles and step outside of
the door. draw the cork drink the coz
tents, and return the empty 10 ties. to-
which they receive a few kopecks. The
number OF these shops Is regulated BY ne
population The license was increased
from $50 rubies 10 l.Ie0 rCb.es Cs77 -
1900 for public hoIses. which reduced he
number cne-half
1t was first proposed in 1885 that the
Government should assume cont o. o. the
sale OF liquor; but the revenue from the
sale OF liquor amounted at that time o
zt5-OUO.OOo Euh.es (SI7i $50 00Ol per year.
and IL was argued the Government mono
poly would reduce this so materially as
70 Affect the revenues. Il nee IL was de-
layed until the famine OF 1891 and the la
mentable state Of things j, revealed has
tened the reform, since which time the
new system has been organized ard intro
daced in half OF the Empire, in1lud ng
thirty-hve provinces, covering 32a 600
square miles. with a population OF Il
UtV'tVV an area greater than the U.i.ed
Kingdom. France, Germany. aud tie Ne h
erlands
Under the present system the Govern
meat dictates the quantity and quality OF
Splits ma1utartu ed. purchases 4 very
large percentage OF the output and per-
mlts the sale Of The surplus under proper
regulations, fcT manufacturing purposes
with the intention Of furnishing the CON
sumner with pure spirits thus mitigating
and preventing such abuses as are direct
~ attributable 20 the excessive use OF bac
hquor and improving the morality and
prosperity Of the masses The Minister OF
Finance has repeatedly declared that the
purpose OF the Government in cont-OIl!rg
the liquor business was not intended 10
produce any direct increase OF me revenue
whichever iLcreasD there might be wouId
come IN consequence OF the prevention OF
abuses which could be avoided only bv
Government control
The Russian peasant classes drink only
Vccki. which is distilled from rye and is
sold 81 the average price o! 81 40 per gal
lon whether 81 quantities OF I OF 10 600
gallons The Government requires that the
proof OF vodki and brandy shall Be 90 de-
grees end that Of spirits OF wine from 80
10 s. degrees.
The ofcisI report for 1895 hes just been
made public and states that the amount
Of capital employed during that year wes
$l4S.2fo 600. There We're 1881 brandy dis
tillsries. 252 spirit iistilleries. and 2II20
places where distilled LIQUORS we're sold Be
sides this. fermented liquor was sold al
az "a !
on at So storehCIses. The sales amounted
to s. te2 20 gallons. the gross receipts b.
ing Sllf.326 20 the expenses $50 =44 SO
and the excise duty s541I7.50O. The ne
income 20 the Government from sales wa
Sl673 800.
In governments where the sale Of liquor
IS controlled by the government. temper
anCe societies have been Organized. with
Prince OldenbuTg. a distinguished philan-
thrOpist of St Petersburg as president
These have opened reading rooms with IL
braries and restaurants near public gar
dens and squares. where large numbers Of
working people congregate. and sell chean
and good food with such temperance drinks
as tea, milk and kvass made from cram
berries and black bread. One Of these so
ctettes has constructed two floating res
taurants, one of which viii seat SEQ people
and the other 300 These boats are towed
70 points on the Neva where workmen are
employed or congregate- An open theatre
has been established on Petrovsky Island !
where good class of plays is given at a
nominal price. Some Of the public parks
are also supplied with apparatus 10 en-
courage open-ai sports
1T is expected that by the end OF 1902
every one ofthe seventy-eight provinces o.
Russia. including Siberia. will have been
included in the sphere of activity Of these
societies
The Societe Russo d'Hygiene PubIique
mas been seeking information from mem |
oers in the various provinces where the |
Government has control Of the nanufac- !
ture and sale OF spirits as to the effects of |
the law and the decrease in drunkenness. |
The friends OF the measure confess that /
the testimony thus far is so conflicting |
as 10 be unsatisfactory, but they hope for !