Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-10-09
ON THE GOTHENBURG SYSTEM

| Occasionally we have referred to the
so-called Gothenburg system of con-
trolling the sale of intoxlcants. BY
that plan all saloon licenses in COM
munity are held by a company consist
| ing Of prominent business men. Saloons
are managed by board OF directors,
elected by the shareholders and they
are limited to a small number. They are
closed every Sunday and holidays, and
on the other days they are open only
from o'clock In the morning till
summer and o'clock in the winter.
Not more than one drink is sold TO one
person, and none to minors or to In
toxicated persons. Liquor In bottles
can be had, but these must not be
opened on the premises. The saloons
are plain rooms. There are no mirrors,
no pictures. no newspapers and no
seats.
Concerning the effects Of this system.
Mr.. William L. Curtis. the special cor
respondent Of the Chicago Record-Her-
aid gives, In that paper some interest
ing facts. He Is at present travelling In
Sweden and making observations on a
variety of subjects. He says;
"The results OF the introduction OF the
Gothenburg system In that city in
Stockholm and elsewhere are very APP
parent. In the first place the num-
Der Of distilleries in Sweden. which, as
| have said was 172,12i In 1850, was re-
duced TO $50 In 1870 and to 126 in 1898. |
The amount Of liquor consumed an
nually per capita In 1850 was forty-flve |
quarts; In 1870 II was thirteen quarts, |
In 1898, eight quarts.
by excluding individual profits as a |
stimulus for increased sales, by refus- |
ing 10 sell on credit, by opening well |
lighted, healthy and clean premises in |
place Of the former dark, wretched |
haunts Of vice and misery; by serving
pure instead OF poisonous drinks; by |
establishing eatlng-houses, and In 9TH
er directions the bolag has certainly
improved the condition of the poor ana
decreased drunkenness and vice. The
reports OF the police courts show this
in a remarkable degree In 1856, when
Gothenburg had population Of only
$4,000, there were 3.4Sl arrests for drunk
enness; In 1875. ten years after the new
system was established, with a popu-
lation OF 10000, the number OF arrests
for drunkenness was 2,f90; In 1885, with
a population Of $4,000, the arrests for
were 2475, and In 1885,
with population OF 10000, they were
S5l6-only few more than when the
population was less than a third as
great.
similar reports come from every city
where the system has been introduced.
The publications of the Gothenburg
societies contain reports from the gov
ernors OF nearly all the towns and
provinces OF Sweden, and while most OF
them are conservative, they all ties.
iify 10 the improved morals OF the peo-
pic, The governor OF Gothenburg says:
There can be no doubt that these mea-
'ures have brought about an improved
moral condition, and. although fights
md other disorders cannot be entirely
prevented, we must allow that the in
eryentlon OF the police has been called
or less often than In former times
The governor Of Stockholm says: This
'hHBRhS ilhe hHlbAUNtQi1 uOUf excel | .
ent service In checking the baneful
which must ever attend
he sale OF spirits The governor OF
jpsala says: The company's opera.
ions have been, and continue 10 be. or
ssential benefit In promoting order aud
morality, The governor OF Jonkopink /.
avs. We do not hesitate TO bear wit.
less 10 the good results which BY dim !
nishing drunkenness and promoting
among the working classes !
he companies have already achieved.
he governor OF kalmar says: by :
dopting this system a beneficial re- I
ult has been obtained so far as tn. =
lorals and the order Of the commu- !.
lily are concerned
The system has also been introduced :
ITO Norway and Finland. where It has =
yet with equal success. The police =
iflcials In all three OF the Scandina. :
Ian countries give their UNQUALIFIED y
astimony IN It's support. There ia no y
uestion that Sweden, Norway and Fin. =
Ind have improved In an extraordinary
hammer 80 far as drunkenness, poverty
nd crime are concerned since the adop.
on OF the Gothenbufg system, and the
pponents Of that system generally al. Il
III that Il Is responsible FOR the i'm a
royement For example. i'm Sweden y
uring the five years before me Gothen- 81
urg system was adopted there was an .
veragc OF 1892 persons In the prisons e
nder sentence, OF an average Of 1929 n
or l,Ooe inhabitants. During the last q
We years the average has been only u
lQ annually In a population OF s.. NJ
COCO. or 6.5l per 1000 inhabitants g
imilar Statistics are furnished by the b,
iicials In charge Of the poor. 81
Before the adoption Of the system n
iere was an average Of 2i6 saloons For 81
iery 10000 inhabitants in Sweden IN. GO
uding both the cities and the country 81
ow there Is an average Of elehtv-four al
aces who're liquor can b. purchased
" every 100000 Inhabitants"
The system is Of course not satisfac.
ny to those who believe In the posi-.
liiy OF maintaining absolute prohibi. OF
on. but the testimony Is almost %
'animous, that as plan for the pro. y. Y.
y regulation OF a necessary eyil.' h,
better has been put into operation. &C