Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-11-28
English gallons
per head of the


The N9 Sutb9r remarks aT6c figures s seem
to show conclusively that the influence of
climate is far less powerful in determining
the consumption of alcohol than is often
supposed"
1t further appears in this account that
there was in Sweden In 1920. paying IL
cense, the enormous number OF 1924
stills. or one to every seventeen of the
population. In 1886 the number was 49,
The author says: "rhe very marrow of
the nation was sappcd; moral and physical
degradation. insanity. poverty and crime
family ties broken up. brutal habits, all
those grim lrgionS that ever range them
selves under the banner of intemperance-
took possession of the land
The same condition that we can have in
Vermont if we take the downward track.
Our author continues:
"Mr. Edwin Goadby In his valuable
pamphlet upon the Gothenburg licensing
system, writing of the former condition Of
Gothcnbu~g. says:
1.-the committee found much more moral
and material degradation, poor dwellings,
people in rags, public houses evading the
law in selling food. 2.1Gl cases of convic-
ton for drunkenness In 1864, and 1Of cases
of delirium tremens.'
ITO remedy this state of things the com
mttee proposes that the authorities maxi
ing use of the right accorded them by the
act of 1Sl5 should hand over the licenses
hitherto disposed of by auction, to com
pany consisting of persons who would en-
gage IN the undertaking, not Tor the sake
of profit, but solely for the good of the
should not derive the slightest profit from
the concern beyond the ordinary rate OF
interest for the capital invested, but that
| a. profits accruing therefrom should he
devoted to the welfare of the working
classes. or transmitted to the town treas
ury. This proposal was accepted. Twenty
highly respected firms and private individ-
uals formed Boag or company, which on
October list, 1850, began its operations. an
example which was speedily followed in
"Mr. James Whyte. the secretary Of the
United Kingdom Alliance, in referring to
the establishment of the company system.
says: The Gothenburg company was
formed in the faith that body of honest
and Intelligent men, deeply moved by the
sins and sorrows of which the liquor traffic
. was the unfailing source, would. II they
undertook to conduct the traffic for no
profit OF. emolumcnt Of their own. but for
the public good. be able to prevent. or at
least to greatly mitigate the terrible evils
which experience has shown to be insep-
arabic from the common sale of drink when
carried on for private personal gain
/ The author continues: There are mpor
/ tant differences between the company sys-
Norway, and in each country the different
companies have their special regulations
yet. in common parlance, the term 'Gothen-
whole.Gothenburg having been the first
large plaee which adopted the company
system. But the principle which underlies
the entire company system in Scandinavia
Is the elimination of private profit from
the sale of drink.
1.-THE Gothenburg committee in their re-
port say: Neither local enactments nor po-
lice surveillance can DO much so long as
public houses are in the hands of private
individuals, who lind their profit in en-;
couraging intemperance, without regard
Tor age or youth, rich or poor.
THE Prime Minister of Sweden put the
same, thought into different words: 1t
stands to reason, he said, That when Il
private individual engages in the brandy
trade, as well in any other, this inter
est will Induce him to sell as much as he
can
Referring to the fact that In Sweden the
beer trade has never been Included in the
Gothenburg system, the author remarks:
I'm the meantime the committee make
various suggestions for controlling the beer
trade. Of a kind with which we in England
are familiar, and from which we ..iuuld
expect small result. Their recital serves
as Il reminder of the insuperable difficulty
of exercising effective control over II trade
carried on by those whose Interest is to
extend it, Happily there is reason to be-
lieve that early legislation will remove the
difficulty which now keeps the sale of beer
outside company control
Referring, finally, to the advantages Of
the Scandinavian system. the author men
lions, among others, the following:
"a trade universally recognized US dan
gerous is taken out of the hands Of the
private dealer, who naturally seeks to eX-
tend 1t, and Is brought under effective re-
striction and control.
'If as seems clear, prohibition is at
present impossible in large towns, the con-
trolling system provides what is incompara-
bly, the least harmful safety valve. In
Scandinavian towns there is no club diff
Guilty, and no driving of the traffic below
the surface.
1.-The controlling system secures for the
community the vast monopoly profits which
now go to those Interested in the trade.
and makes 1t possible to use them for the
establishment OF adequate counteracting
agencies.
1.-The system enlsts the active co-opera-
tion of good citizens, and Is responsive to
an enlightened public opinion.
IF, then, 1t be asked to what practical
conclusions of value to this country the
experiments in Scandinavia point, we re
ply that there are two which far exceed all
others in Importance. The first, the bed
rock upon which any fabric of effective IL
csnsing reform must be built, Is to take
the trade out of private hands So long as
the private interest of the seller runs
counter TO the interests of the State, so
long will the effort OF the State TO restrict
and control the traffic be ba fled"
Passing to the dispensary system of
South Carolina the book says: THE dis
pensary system is a system under which
ha rafaiI trade in aIpOhalie HuunrS is al