Thompson — The Gothenburg Liquor System. 413 



Thus, we see that these cities around which no samlags have 

 been voted down have also had considerably larger sales in the 

 years following 1895 than they had before. Comparing the 

 total increase of sales at the samlags of these two different 

 classes of cities we obtain the following significant data: 



Total sales. 



We here have a direct proof that the sales have increased 

 more at the samlags that are far away from the cities where 

 samlags have been discontinued than at the samlags that are 

 near such cities. As no special conditions exist that would in- 

 crease the sales at one place more than at another, it seems to 

 me that we cannot avoid the conclusion that cities that have dis- 

 continued their own samlags have not, at least not to any large 

 extent, patronized neighboring samlags. 



Having now shown that the continued drunkenness in the pro- 

 hibition to^\TLS is due neither to illegitimate sales of spirituous 

 liquors nor, to any large extent, to the purchase of these liquors 

 from neighboring samlags, we have only one of the three 

 assumed possibilities left. Is the continued drunkenness due 

 to an extraordinary sale of ale and wine ? Yes, this is the only 

 conclusion to Avhich an impartial study of the question can lead. 

 As the samlags never possessed exclusive control over other than 

 the spirituous liquors, it is evident that their discontinuance 

 would not stop the selling of ale and wine. E'aturally we 

 should expect a greater sale of these milder beverages. When 

 •one avenue is closed the other becomes doubly crowded. When 

 the samlags, and with them the sale of spirituous liquors, were 

 done away with, ale and wine, especially ^'Ladde vin," took their 

 places. We need not here consider the injurious hygienic 

 effects of ale and wine as compared with spirituous liquors. 

 By the tables of arrests it is only too evident that they must have 



