New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-14

been introduced this mistake has been made.
laws resulating the Misunderstanding OF licensed
saloons the shortening Of the hours of sales etc.
The remaining features the elimination Of
private profit making and certain measures which
are , ddesSnGd to ameorae the physical condition
w0rhmaH hoWevfr would probably resent paterna
profit making has not been successfully accom-
Tho that the rapacity OF the companies author
izfd 70 produce and sell splrtu9us liquors has been
the cause or several great popular uprtsings.
SAVES EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION
Beer was at one time the famous English bever-
age: IL would have remained so but for exorbitant
taxation. AS In Germany and other countries.
nearly all comfortably fixed households brewed
their own beer. and these We're taxed IS for every
member of the family. while distilled spirits
were taxed only pence per gallon. This resulted
in the gin palaces of which Smollett records
that THE sgnboards proclaimed: Here you may
get drunk for a penny. dead drunk for two pence,
and have clean straw for nothing" II is too long
story to give in detail. but the English attempts
of that period To cheek intemperance by high IL
spirits demonstrated that every new tax decreased
production of distilled spirits This Is exnIa,n ,ns
by the fact that the Illicit OF ardent spirits
while with malt liquors it is almost Impossible
,, As with hngiand' so with other countries of
declined. intemperance greatly Increased II is not
VIII suffice to give their deductions from the
bitter lessons Of those experiences; these are
famous report. which was based on comparative
treatses the results of the liquor laws OF Nor
way. sweden, Finland. Russia Denmark The
Netherlands. Belgium, Prussia. Wurtemberg
United States. That means to be emnIoved
against incompetence must necessarily vary in
accordance with the differences of local views and
the conditions OF tina various countries: hut thar
dispensable conditions OF success, viz Suppresson
Of technically imperfect dstillation (rural dstiIla
tom. , system Of taxation and administration
by winch the manufacture OF and traffic in dis
restricted. and by which the collection of high
duties on spirits Is rendered feasible The reiuc-
tion or taxes on Wholesome beverages" The Swed-
Ism system rests on this; and Germany, Belgium
ana inc Netherlands are In line with II. Even
grape growing France is fast adopting malt liquors.
which must be n source OF qualification TO those
frenchnen-Pasteur. for example-who have at
trlnuted the defeat of that country the Franco
russian war TO the degeneracy caused by spirit
drinking! - 0P
AMERICAS DEBT TO BEER.
In this country. even under present excise laws
the temperance problem is fast being solved. ami
1t is probable that. in comparatively short time
America will occupy the first place among tenperata
nations-that is. unless the conditions under which
the decrease IN consumption Of ardent spirits and
the increase in the of fermented beverages have
taken place should be changed for the worse As
however. the experimen tatiOn In country has
ranged from total non-interference TO absolute
pFoiipltioh ana the proper policy has been fonnd
70 ne MIDWAY between the two. IL Is probable that
well enough will be ''let alone ~
WHAT ADVOCATES OF BEER WANT
IN this connection 1t may be we'll 10 remark that
inc attitude OF the advocates OF beer seems to bs