The Dewsbury Chronicle, and West Riding Advertiser. — 1873-09-06 (Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England)

THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC IN RUSSIA.—A correspondent of the Constitutionel, writing from St. Petersburgh, says a recent decision of the council of the Russian Empire has introduced important modifications in the regulation of the sale of intoxicating drinks. These changes will greatly tend, it is hoped, to the restriction of drunkenness. The duties imposed on places where liquor is sold, especially those that deal exclusively in eue-cle-vie, are considerably increased. It is forbidden to allow in the taverns clerks under 21 years of age, or to admit soldiers, the pupils of educational institutions and young people generrally. The necessity for this last restriction has been lately made manifest by the murders committed by children of 12 or 13 years of age. It is also forbidden to allow temporary licences for the sale of liquors at the fairs and bazaars in all cases in which there are already licences of this kind in the locality. The Minister of Finance has been requested to report without delay if he considers that the measures lately applied to St. Peters. burgh should not be made applicable to Moscow, Odessa, and other towns. The Moscow Gazett-, in an article on these measures, seeks to prove that the evil is not due to the number of taverns, hut to their character and to the facilities they afford for the concealment of crimes. According to authentic information (the correspondent of the Constitutional says) there is a licence for the sale of drink in Russia for every 640 inhabitants; in Siberia one for every 500; in Prussia, one for every 260 ; in England, one for 138; in Belgium, one for 93; in Holland, one for 90; and in France one for every 70. SHOP RHE'roare.—The peculiarities of what is known as "a good salesman "are well known. He has all the persuasive adjectives in the English language at his fingers' ends ; he must wear a black coat, irreproachable linen, and a pleasing smile. There is no length of asseveration to which he must not on occasion be prepared to go. The less he knows about the particular business in which he is concerned the better ; one or two plausible phrases, learnt by heart, will be sufficient to silence awkward questions. All he has to do is to secure the confidence of the purchaser, and this is effected less by a display of knowledge than by colourable talk. In some shops this sort of thing has reached its height, and the tide of revulsion sets in. Customers begin to loathe the nauseating treatment, and instinctively avoid places where they have been subjected to it. But prudence dictates a policy of moderate falsehoods; and a discriminating shopman easily detects the point at which he must check his exuberant fancy. Selling is, indeed, converted into one of he fine arts, and it is pursued with a keen eye to the limits imposed upon it by the limited credulity of mankind. Owing to this careful study of his art, and to the long experience of an apprenticeship behind the counter, a really first-rate shoprnan will often convey in a few sentences the exact amount of false impressions his customer can bear, and contrive to complete the work with postures, gestures, and an eloquent silence. Indeed, it may be said generally, that the greater number of customers remain ignorant dupes to the end of their lives.—The Examiner.