THE GOTHENBURG SYSTEM.

Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 37, 8 December 1894, Page 11

THE GOTHENBURG SYSTEM.

Scarcity of space obliged me last week to leave unanswered M. Seeby’s query —“ What do you think of the Gothenburg system ?” I have for some considerable time thought the adoption of some such system would be the only way in which the liquor traffic could be satisfactorily managed. The great point in favour of the Gothenburg system is that it does away with personal profit, which is such an important factor in forcing the sale of alcohol. The men employed to retail the alcohol are paid a fixed salary, which is entirely independent of the amount they sell. It matters not to them whether a man buys or no so that no undue pressure is brought to bear to induce him to do so. It seems to me that a well regulated traffic wotdd bfe preferable to the attempt to enforce prohibition. It is common talk that more drink is

sold now in the Clutha district than before the . hotels, were closed ; the houses being private the police may not enter them, so that the restraining power hitherto exercised by the police is done away with. Added to the fact that the trade in liquor still goes on is the evil of making it a common thing to break the law, which evil in itself has a demoralising elfect upon a community. Linda.