The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-07
RUSSIA'S LIQUOR REFORM
Great Changes Wrought by the
Abolition of the Saloons.
All Drinking Places Throughout the
Empire Closed Except in Moscow
and Siberin-ReasOns for the Drns-
tie Prohibition-Peasan Degrnd-
ed by Indulgence in Vodka.

NEW YORK, Jan. Ga St. Petersburg
! correspondent of the Evening Post thus
| discusses the liquor reform in Russia:
Few nations consume a larger amount
of spirituous liquors per capita than the
Russians. Perhaps it was because the
! public drinking place was so conspicuous
| everywhere in European Russia that all
| former subjects of the Gar who return
| now for a visit are much impressed with
the changes observed since the abolition
of all saloons and the prohibition of the
public consumption of alcoholic bever-
! ages.
This revolutionary law has closed all
| public drinking places throughout the en-
| pire except in Moscow, where the new
regime will be introduced next year, and
in Siberia where it will go into effect in
1903
mo man has now right to sell spirit
uous liquors in Russia. Their sale has
become a Government monopoly. The
State, however, has not interfered with
the manufacture of spirits, except to
limit and regulate the production. Farm
ers still manufacture a great deal of
vodka in their own distilleres. But the
State is the middleman. It alone handles
the product as it passes from the pro-
Queer to the consumer. The spirits are
taken from the distileries to the Govern
ment stores, refined in the Government
mills, and delivered to the public from
the Government shops, with the States
stamp on each bottle. When the con-
sumner has emptied a bottle, he may take
it back, and the Government will pay
him from one to five kopeckS for it,
There are at present about 80, 600 600 OF
such bottles in circulation, which seems
10 show that the use of vodka a kind
of whisky made of rye or potatoes, is
still extensive. 1t is not permissible to
open the bottles except in the home of
the purchaser, and a person seen drink
ing in any public place or on the road
is fined from $3.50 to $40.
why did the Government make this
drastic change? Its avowed purpose was
to improve the moral and ma terial cOndi-
ton of the great mass of the population.
There is no doubt that the reform is con-
ferring blessings upon the peasantry. a
great deal of poverty and perpetual in
debtedness among this latter class could
be traced directly to the proprietors of
the country inns and of the saloons. II
was usual to sell vodka on credit until
the saloonkeeper had the peasant well in
his mower When the customer had taken
three or four drinks of vodka, the next
five or six would be half water and subse-
quent rotations were merely water fla
vored with liquor.
This procedure was perhaps for the
peasants good, except that the bill for
refreshments which he signed would foot
up two or three rubles, when in fact, he
had consumed only fifty kopecks worth
of vodka OF course, the saloonkeeper
was always the bosom friend of the peas
ant until the crops. were gathered in the
fall Then ne would insist upon his full I
pound of flesh. with the result that the
earnings OF the peasant usually passed
into the hands of the liquor dealer. When
there was a balance of indebtedness I'M
paid il was left over until the next year