The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-20
Twenty five Men Offer to Incorporate
! Company, Take All Saloon Licenses,
Reduce Number to Seventy and Run
Remaining Ones, Profits Over 6 per
Cent Going to City.

ALI the pfOnGS dDOVe pci CohC w w
paid into the city treasury for the pur-
pose of reducing taxation, or of in
creasing our school facilities and i'm
proving parks and roads, to an extent
not possible with present revenues; the
books and accounts to be open to the
inspection of all city officers and repre-
sentatives Of all civic bodies.
"While the courts have decided that
no man has vested right to sell liquor,
and that tho police commission may re-
woke license without showing cause,
we do not favor anything that saVors
Of confscation, and would offer to buy
the furniture and fixtures of every sa-
loon now running, at their appraised
value, and would also appraise the good
will paying for the latter in annual IN,
stallments over all series of years and
out of the profits; the payment, for
good will being regarded as purely
moral and not legal obligation.
Some of the Advantages.
"Among the advantages Of such a
system, compared with the present,
would be:
"First-The reduction of the number
of saloons to about one-third the pres
ent number, without any reduction IN
the revenue obtained by the city.
"Second-TEe closing of all saloons
Of the disreputable class.
'Third--The sale of only absolutely
pure liquors.
"Fourth-No sales on credit.
"Fifth-The sale of Notwithstanding
drinks, preference to be gwen to such
drinks over intoxicating liquors.
"Sixth-The discouraging as far as
possible of the treating habit.
Seventh The entire elimination of
the private saloonkeeper and his organ
izations from local politics.
Eighth-Concentrat of the
liquor selling business, making police
supervision easier and more economical
Origin of Gothenburg System.
t'In the city of Gothenburg in Swed-
en-. in 1865, a committee Of public-spir-
tied citizens, after several months con-
sideration Of the best method of con-
trolling the liquor traffic and decreas::
ing drunkenness, reported in favor OF
taking the business entirely out of the
hands of private individuals and giving
a corporation the exclusive right to sell
Intoxicating beverages, limiting its
profits to 6 per cent on the invested
capital, and providing that all the prof
it's in excess Of per cent should be
paid into the public treasury.
"The committee believed that so
long as the retailing Of liquor remained
in private. hands and the saloonkeepers
profit depended on the amount Of his
sales, it would be impossible to limit or
decrease the use Of .intoxicants; but
that if the business were entirely in
the hands Of one company whose profits
were limited and could not be increased
by pushing the sale of liquors, who
would not sell on credit, nor to minors,
| nor to intoxicated persons, nor sell
adulterated liquors, and who would re-
! duce the number of drinking places, the
evils Of the business could at least be
| greatly decreased.
Drinking Lessened so Per Cent.
"The company was formed, as recon-
| mended by the committee, and the
licenses, which had been granted for a
the company as they expired. The
company finally secured them all in
1875. and official Statistics show that
the amount Of liquor used per capita in
Gothenburg decreased so per cent, in
the succeeding twenty years, thus JUST
! flying the predictions of the committee
Zone oversight in the original plan
which has not been remedied yet was
the failure to include the sale of wines
and beer in the monopoly given the
company. Very little wine and beer
not classed as Intoxicating liquor. Some
years later the duty on wines was
greatly reduced and wines and bee1
were retailed without restriction This
has led of late years to a considerable
increase in drunkenness in Gothenburg
The number Of arrests is often quoted
as proof that the Gothenburg system
has failed in it's purpose, but it merely
proves that the sale of wine and beer
as we'll as stronger drinks, should b.
taken out of the hands of private in
dividuals. This is fully recognized b,
many citizens Of Gothenburg. but tn,
wine merchants has been too strong t.
permit the company to take over tn
wine and beer trade.
Conditions in Los Angeles.
"Conditions in Los Angeles, Will
by no means as bad as in Gothenbur
, forty years ago, are capable Of decide
Improvement:
"There should be no saloons in tn
residence districts. They should b
confined strictly to the business sec
ton.
"There are too many saloons.
| WHILE pOu leot Ol L 1TSC anu MAI
streets, are TWENTY-FIVE. :. ..
, els that number necessary for tn
public good2
Very few saloons sell absolutel
r pure liquors, and many sell cheap nil
lures of injurious drugs which contai
: little. if any, genuine liquor.
] Even the majority of better elias
i saloons make little pretense Of obevin
4 the laws forbidding the sale of intox
Y cants to minors and drunken men, an
d nearly all sell on credit to some of the
y customers.
: Alp have the same motive whic
i every other business man has in pusl
# ing sales the more sales the more prof
els it to the best interests of til
: public to have 200 saloonkeeDers pc
sonally Interested in selling each GU
toner more liquor than he needs7
, Zone of the arguments against th
proposition has been that it woul
create monopoly. 1t would not or
ate a monopoly. but would substitute
# monopoly for the benefit of the publ
| Co. ho hannHf &c 4