Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-03-21
sTHE GoTHENBURG SYSTEM.

ssTHE GoTHENBURG SYSTEM.
Major johnson Swrites from Gothen-
burg, Sweden, under date of Feb. %, as
follows:
#"I am now possessed of sufficient facts
so that [ can give your readers infor-
nation about the celebrated Gothenburg
system of handling the liquor traffic.
On Oct. l, 1865, the "Goteborg Utskank-
ings Bolag" took charge of the liquor
traffic of this city. But owing to con-
tracts and concessions then in existence
it was not until 1885 that it secured full
control of the entire traffic. The Bolag
corporation is capitalized flor 100000
kroner (S56,00O), on which it receives 6
per cent interest or profit annually. All
other profits are turned over to- the city
and various public institutions. Since
1875 to and including 1898 it has turned
over to the various funds entitled to the
same the sum of 1928 s, $50 kroner; a
kroner is % cents. The highest year
yielding S89, 304 kroners and the lowest
year 4s9, 1873 kroners.
"All liquors are inspected and1must
bear a certain standard or purity. When
the Bolag came into possession of the
entire sale it found one saloonswhere
strong drink could be obtained for each
1869 persons; in 1899 there was one for
each 7,481 persons, that is where liquors
could be obtained for off consumption
and in 1868 there was one public house
for every 1928 persons; in 1899 there
was one public house for every s,158 of
the population. The Bolag makesJ it's
W regulation as to the sale of liquors;
the hours for selling for saloons are from
8 a. m. to 8 p. m. and for public houses.
The difference between a saloon and
public house is in the latter they must
serve hot and cold eatables at all hours.
The persons authorized to sell liquors
receive no profit on the sales. He is
paid a certain sum forashis services and
for help, which sum is divided at certain
times by the Bolag. ssE1x 80 s@sNsssss:as3
"The Bolag furnishes room and fix
lures where liquor is sold, and the per-
son having the sale is prohibited from
selling to minors under ]iten years or to
any one who shows signs of being under
the influence of liquor. Nor are they
permitted to sell only a certain number
of drinks mot enough to affect them in
any n place. at the same time or in
quick succession. II the figures before
me a be relied upon there can be no
question but what this system has de-
creased drunkenness, as may be seer by
the following: In 1870 the average con-
sumption per head of population was
1l.6 litres, while in 1878 it had been re-
duced to 1856 litres-a litre is a trihe
more than one. fourth of our gallon-per
head.
The object of the Bolag as set forth
in their articles of incorporation are the
following among many others: TO pro-
hibit the sale of intoxicants on credit;
to provide we'll lighted and ventilated
rooms; to provide cooked food at moder-
ate charges; to lower the percentage of
alcohol; to limit the quantity of spirits
procurable by any n visitor at any one
time; to raise the age limit of young per-
sons to whom spirits may be supplied;
to shorten the hours when spirits are
sold; to supply good and cheap food for
the working classes
"The system has been extended to
nearly every city in Sweden, as we'll as
in Norway, with somewhat varying con-
ditions. That it is a fixture here no one
a doubt. I have before me the in
dorsement of it from the governors of
eighteen provinces in Sweden"