LICENSING AND TEMPERANCE IN SCANDINAVIA.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43094, 18 May 1907, Page 1

LICENSING AND TEMPERANCE IN SCANDINAVIA.

THE LATEST PANACEA. By Robert E. Batty. (Continued from last issue.) ' Mr Pratt’s investigations give increased significance to the appalling statistics as to arrests for drunkenness in Gothenburg' He observes: “It should be remembered that wherever the Gothenburg system is put in force the local municipality and the liquor company at once become partners in the enterprise ? for the credit of which the local authorities will desire that ' as lenient an eye as possible may be cast upon drunkards, so that the statistics of drunkenness may be kept down,” Mr Pratt has no difficulty in demonstrating the substantial pecuniary interest of the five per cent philanthropists’ and, incidentally, his recital of the facts about our own home railway investments .is worth quoting: “Taking the • case of ordinary stock in the rail wavs

of the United Kingdom, I find Vl that in 1905 no less than .£56,691,000 received no interest or divident at all; on £i6.969,* 000 the amount of divident paid did not exceed 1 per cent, on £42,821,000 it was between land 2 per cent; on £126,692,000 it was between 2 and 3 per cent; and on £78,934,000 it was between 3 and 4 per cent. To talk especially to the holders of the £56,000,000 ordinary railway stock yielding no return whatever, about the beneficence of the shareholders in the Gothenburg system companies- • who are 1 content, with 5 per cent preference dividends wouldbe something like a .mockery The best Government securities* ; (loans) and the bonds of the Land Mortgage Bank cf Norway do not yield a higher rafe of interest than 3to 4 per cent.’ - Mr Pratt sums up his consideration of the facts by saying: “ The whole idea of ‘ disinterested management, has proved to be only a delusion and a snare.” How' the money interest affects the fight for Prohibition may be illustrated by this paragragh: “ Some years ago the Prohibitionist party in Norway, -as the result of persistence agitation, secured a vote of No~Licence in several of the smaller towns, and the Samlags were consequent iv . closed. Much ill-feeling was caused tticrcby, but the main

grievance advanced dy the p;sss •va- that the communities had < • •>.<? large sources of income, and aad must either do without o:\ antages previously enjoyed •r pay for them out of their own pocket..”

' Mr Pratt very grudgingly gives the admission which the tacts irresistibly demand—that the consumption of alcoholic beverages has declined very considerably in the country districts of Norway because of the difficulties interposed in the way of getting them through the Prohibitionist policy. Twenty.nine Norwegian towns have declared by popular vote in which all men and woman over 25 years of age may tahe part, in favour- of Prohibition such vote remaining in force for a period of five years, when the community votes again, and should it so please, may change its mind. To such an extent has the movement been carried that out of 500 rural communes with an . average population of 3,000 -each, spirit licences exist in only 13, and in only about onc-lialf of the communfejSvb can even beer or wine by bongnty while in a large proportion of " these the beer or wine can be obtained only by travellers.