Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1908-07-29
Spirits Consumed.


Liters per cap.
19O1-O3 .6,S67,000 3.06
19O2-04 ~. 1861, 900 295
1o09-o5 6122.OOO 2.69
| 1eO4-Oe 5,955,OOO 2.60
The consumption of wine has fallen
off to less than one-half part that con-
sumed in the years between 1896 and
1900. The consumption of beer for
1906 was less than in any year since
1876.
Those who theorize at distance
credit this decline to the Gothenberg
system. But there has been, so far
as l am aware, no similar marked de-
cline in Sweden, where, in the cities,
the Gothenberg drink shops work I'M
disturbed. The newspapers OF Chris
tiania, which are disagreeably init
mate with the alcohol capital, and
therefore ought to know, attribute it
rather to the steady movement to-
ward prohibition. The writer is in
clined to believe this, though the act
i've temperance propaganda through
out the country deserves to be cons1d-
cred as well.
There are 35 dry cities against &c
wet, the rural districts at large being
under prohibition. In the local option
contests of this last year, of the IL
wet cities contested the temperance
party won six. 1t is a striking fact,
showing how satisfied the people are
win prohibition, that in 1907 In only
six out of the 80 prohibition cities
did the alcohol interest attempt to
| bring back the samlag, and in all OF
these they were defeated. It may be
added that in the 10 local option con-
tests of last year the votes stood
1895 dry to 16,10S wet. In the pre-
ceding election the same cities gave
1854 dry and f9,457 wet. The re-
suit shows clearly enough whittier the
popular consciousness is turning. In
any case, it is hard to see how the
samlag has helped to lower the per
capita consumption.
! am at present living far up in the
Gudbranosdal Complaints are being
made of the great activity the samlag
at LilIehammer has displayed in the
holidays just past, in flooding Inc val
| ley with drink. One writes from
Tretten of the pyramid of brandy bot
ties this particular shop has sent into
| the village, spreading everywhere
; trouble and sorrow in the homes, and
destroying Christmas joy. He sug-
gests that there be special car OF
| detention" of the trains to handle the
F.! holiday victims of the samlag. 1T IS
highly inhuman," he adds, Ito leave
| these intoxicated men locked up by
| themselves in the railroad stations,
during the bitter winter nights" Does
/ not this read differently from Rown-
| tree and Sherwells idyll?
The Gothenberg system is popular
| Nv represented as a quasi-beneyolent
undertaking, the purpose of which is
| to check the sale of alcohol. To what
extent this is true can be, judged by
facts which are continually coming
| to the surface in connection with the
| present agitation against it. In Ho-
len (Norway), for example, 1t mas
been recently discovered that the
largest stockholders in the samlag
are the well known Christiania liquor
dealers, Dammann & Baltzersen,
whose advertisements blazon the
sides of the daily papers of the me-
tropolis. The samlag in question is
of course only an outlet for the sale
of their wet goods.
1t is alleged, among its other good
features, that the system keeps the
sale of drink in strict control" A
mere phrase! The samlag is a con-
slant violator of the prohibitory regi-
me in neighboring towns. 1t sends
drink far beyond any possible range
of control" even if the purpose to
push the trade" does not actually
exist Bootleggers have no trouble in
getting their supplies from the sam
lag. This has become such a nui-
sance that petitions are being pre-
scented to the government to conf1ne
the operations of this benevolently
pernicious, or perniciously benevolent,
institutions to those points where it
Is dIIOWSO law W OPOA 1COs
Again, it is commonly supposed in
certain circles that Illicit selling is
a popularity of prohibition areas, and
that the Gutenberg system is
pledge against such irregularities.
This is by no means the case. The
leading daily of Christiania recounts
the discovery, made by the police in
that city, of a new species of blind
pig" This is a masked brandy shop
in the guise of shellac and polish
stores. Bottles containing spirits
with a little coloring matter to give
the appearance of shellac and slight
tinctare of the latter, to enable the
seller truthfully to excuse himself to
the police, constitute the stock in
trade of these ingenious lawbreakers.
The women, too. engage in this profit
~