CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, 9 March 1895, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

We are not responsible for the statement! or opinions of correspondents. SO THE EDITOB OP THE MANAWATC HERALD. Sir,— l noticed in your paper yesterday a reference to the supposed failure of the Gothenburg System. I think many people besides the Times' correspondent are ignorant of the object the promoters of that system had in view. It was not to control the sale of beer, but it was established and empowered to deal ' with the sale of spirits only. The insobriety ab present existing in Gothenburg is almost entirely due, to-day, to the sale of " strong malt liquors." Cases of drunkenness, directly traceable to the bars of the company in Gothenburg itself, have • 1 greatly declined in number. The Gothenburg system has most successfully coped with the evil it set itself to cure. Probably the system will spread to the beer bars and as successfully cope with them. The shareholders in this enterprise receive 6 per cent interest on their investment (paid up.) Seven tenths of the remaining profits are paid into the town chest, and the rest is divided between the Crown and the district Agricultural Society. There are seventy-five of these establishments controling the whole . of the retail traffic in spirits But there are no less than 780 places in Gothenburg not under this system, where beer and wine are sold. I think your readers, as well as yourself, will '.find interesting information in these facts. It is always more satisfactory to judge fairly of such experiments which are being. made to encourage sobriety, without total abstinence, than blindly to condemn them through ignorance. I believe man is not so far gone but that the great majority are able, without sin, to enjoy the moderate use of spirit, wine, beer, etc , and that the minority may be reduced to those, who, under any system would be drunkards, unless confined to an asylum, and perhaps that would be the best place for their own happiness. I am, etc., George Aitkens.