WHAT FREETRADE IN DRINK DOES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3699, 23 May 1883, Page 4

WHAT FREETRADE IN DRINK DOES.

Some startling statistics arc given as Io the result of l'reetrado in liquor in Switzerland. The population of that country two 3 r cars ago, when tho last enumeration was made, was. 2,846,102. Tho Pull Mall Budget says : —" Since 1874, when froetrade in drink was substituted for the old system, under which each canton regulated the drink traffic for itself, the number of publichouses has increased 22 per cent. This is pretty well in eight years, especially as the populatiou lias during tho same time iuereascd only 6 per cent. There is now throughout Switzerland one public-hottse for every 130 inhabitants, and in Geneva one for every seventy. In one part of the country, where the statistics of crime have been closely investigated with reference to this question, about half the total number of_ crimes have been found to take their origin in drunkenness. An almost greater evil in tho waste of money even on the part of those who stop short of crime, of which some curious instances are gathered from tho books of public-houses examined by lierr Siegfred. One man earned 23fr 00c in a week, and spent 20fr 5s in the public - house; a seconed earned 291'r, and spent 22fr ; a third earned 28fr, and spent ISfr. Tho innkeeper in this case, wis also a contractor, who in the letter capacity employed these excellent customers ; and ' one week, ■when the men worked less or drank more than usual, tho innkeeper contractor had no money at all to pay, and everyone of the men began the following week with a balance against him. , "