Gothenburg

got'en-burg, the second city of Sweden. It was founded by Gustavus Adolphus in 1619. It lies in the direct route by water from Copenhagen to Christiania. It rose to commercial importance during the Napoleonic wars. The present population is about 160,000. It has important manufactures of sugar, machinery, leather, cotton, and beer. It has an excellent dock. Ships are built here. It is noted for the so-called Gothenburg system. In 1865 the city decided to make an experiment in decreasing drunkenness by taking the sale of intoxicating liquors out of the hands of those who derived a profit from it. The city grants a monopoly of the sale of liquors to a company. All salesmen are placed on salary. No liquor may be consumed on the premises. The profit of the traffic, over and above six per cent, goes to the city treasury. It is claimed that, under this system, drunkards and minors are unable to obtain liquor, so that drunkenness has decreased. During thirty years of trial the number of distilleries has run down from 2,300 to 132. Instead of one saloon to 8,000 inhabitants the number has changed to one saloon to each 13,000. Certainly the public treasury has been filled. The system has spread to a large part of the Scandinavian peninsula. It must be regarded as still on trial, however. Few believe that the company keeps good faith with the government. South Carolina is trying a somewhat similar plan.