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Show T " GOTHENBURG SYSTEM. The Los Angeles Times is taking quite an interest in-terest in the so-called Gothenburg system for the regulation of the sale of intoxicants. That system sys-tem consists chiefly in turning that business for any given community OA-cr to a stock company, Avhich gives certain guarantees for the orderly conduct con-duct of its saloons, limits tho individual profit on tho stock, and distributes all its earnings, in excess of a certain percentage, in the form of donations for public improvements, or charities. The system is nojonger an experiment. It has been in operation for forty years, and been adopted, adopt-ed, with certain modifications, by many communities communi-ties in Xonvay and Finland, as Avell as Sweden. Some of the results of it are given as follows: In ISfiS there Avere, in Gothenburg and its suburbs, sub-urbs, one public house for eA-ery 2,293 persons of the population; in 1899 there wras one public house for every 8,158 persons. In 1S75 there was one j shop for retailing spirits for "off-consumption" for every 8,569 persons of the population. In 1S9J1 there Avas one retail shop for every 17,481 persons. During the twenty-three years from 1875 to 1898, inclusive, the profits of the "bolag" (the company i Avhich took over the liquor licenses), amounted to 10,282.360 kroner (something like $4,000,000), all ! of which, instead of going into, .the pockets of ! liquor dealers, AA-ent for the benefit of public institutions insti-tutions or funds, sucli as the parks, the museum, the fund for. providing free legal advice to the Avorking classes, the school children's holiday fund, reading rooms for Avorkmen, etc. The greater part . of the money, howeA-er, was paid into the town - treasury to be used for improving the police system, sys-tem, the hospital service, and the system for relieving reliev-ing the poor. Such results ought to attract the attention of friends of temperance everywhere. It is indeed probable that the Gothenburg system would be a most effective means of furthering the cause of prohibition. Deseret Xews. . - |