Arizona republican., 1908-11-11
BREWERS SATISFIED
 WITH THE SWISS WAY
Which ContempIates Strict En-
 force of the Law.

The brewing interests have issued
 a pamphlet containing the report of the American consul to Lucerne, de- scribing the Swiss plan of handling the liquor question, a plan endorsed by the brewers association.
 Mir. F. R. Mansfield, the American consul at Lucerne, has lately made an interesting report to our govern ment of the liquor traffic in the Swiss republic. He points out that each canton has a large measure of discretion in dealing with the traf- fife, the general plan being to limit the number of saloons in proportion to the population. The average seems to be about one saloon to every 300 inhabitants. while in the rural districts the ratio is not in- frequently as high as one saloon to 1000 persons. Writing of conditions in Lucerne, the consul says:
 Tn the canton of Lucerne the rate for license is comparatively high. Sa- looms are classified, the privilege of operating a bar in a first-class hotel costing much more than for a small restaurant or beer hall. Here the minimum price for license to sell in toXicants at retail is 200 francs, equal to about $40 a year, and the maxi mum for large first-class hotels 5000 francs, equivalent to about $1,200 per year. Each municipality or com munity decides the number of sa- looms to be licensed, based upon the number of inhabitants, and when the number prescribed has been reached no influence, political or financial, can secure an additional privilege.
 The hour for closing is generally F o'clock at night. and as a rule it is strictly observed. any violation of the law resulting in forfeit of license. Any special privileges de- sired by the holder of a liquor li- cense must be applied for to the proper authorities, and, if granted, they must be paid for in addition to the regular annual fee. All license fees in Switzerland must be paid one year in advance. and any neg lect on the part of the holder to comply with this requirement results in a forfeit of the privilege.
 There are no technicalities of the law governing the traffic whereby
 
 strict compliance with it's require ments. The limited number of li- censes issued also encourages the strict observance of the law. as a bar privilege is considered valuable because of the fact that when the maximum number allotted to a com munity has been issued it is impos- sible to secure an additional privi- lege until one is surrendered or for feited.
 All the revenues received for liq- uor license are expended upon public schools and the improvement of roads in the canton where the privilege is granted. Three-fourths of the money thus collected is apportioned for edu- cational purposes and the remainder for public highways"
 MT Mansfield reports that under the Swiss plan of liquor selling there is little excessive drinking and prac- tically no drunkenness. Rarely. he assures us, is an intoxicated person seen on the streets of Lucerne, and never one "boisterously drunk" un- less it be a tourist The net result of the liquor traffic in Switzerland" concludes the consul, would seem to be that it is regulated so as to SC cure a large revenue. which is ap- piled largely to the maintenance of public schools, and at the same time so restricted as to prevent any abuse of the privileges granted with a li- cense to engage in the buisness."