The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-10-18
SWEDEN BEGINS REGULATION OF
 LIQUOR TRAFFIC

| Stockholm. Sweden. Oct 1S-A1-
 though nothing so drastic as the pro-
 hibition measures of Russia has been attempted in Sweden. there has been
 since the beginning of the war. a
 steady and systematic curtainment in | the sale of liquor, which is approving | ly regardedt by temperance advocates
 as a decided step toward absolute pro- hfbition. The ..Stockh olrn system of allowing each citizen only a fixed quantity of spirituous drink, which
 was inaugurated just after the war
 started, has now been extended to 31 Of the hundred districts in Sweden 1 and according to a government order.
 recently issued, will after the first l of January, 1915, apply to the whole
 of Sweden
 The stockholm system which al- | lows every citizen in good standing in the city to become a moderate drinker, while. effectively preventing
 him from becoming a drunkard, was
 ingenious1y devised by pr. Ivan Bratt. present director of the system. after all other expedients had failed. Dr.
 Bratt has been lauded, condemned,
 idolized, and ridiculed, and his work
 has become the theme of almost daily
 discussion in the newspapers of SWe-
 den so1t1e of which criticize him for
 being too moderate and others too ex-.
 trerne in his reforms. But on one
 point all are agreed. The system
 works.
 Tn the first place, the liquor conn
 panies. while directed by private in-9
 dividuals were practically made gov
 ernment concerns, for all profits were to go to the government This re-
 moved any incentive on the part of the directors to production: It was followed by careful supervision of the supply of liquor furnished ta hotels, restaurants and public bars.s1 These places still had a right to as much liquor as they requiFed, but they did business in excess of that amount fixed by the governn ent. they had to purchase this additional supply at retail price. and wefe forced to sell at the same prices. This. it would seem, would have removed the zeaI-l dus effort of hotel proprietorssto make their liquor trade as large as possi bIe.
 But none of these yexpedients was successful. The total consumption of liquor was scarcely diminished. The amount of drunkenness in Sweden showed no decrease, and hospitals and Aln edicaI records were full of alcoholic patients and cases Of illness caused by alcoholism, as before. It was evident that the decrease in the amount of liquor sold at hotels and bars was offset by the increased bust ness done at wine stores where cus- toners bought as much bottled spirits ! as they liked and took it home for consump ption.
 The ebook system which is now in | operation, was devised by pr. Bratt4l at the Beginning of the war. It allow-i ed every citizen in good standing to1 buy one litre and no more of spiritu-l
 < this plan feasible, each person was provided with a small book rese4n- I bling a, communication railroad ticket. | from which a coupon was torn every 1 time the consumer bought his 1itre | of whiskey. brandy, cognac, punch, | scnapps. or whatever kind of alco- holic beverage he faneied. At the same time, his book was stamped with that date of the purchase so that it would be clear to the dealer when he made his last purchase Without showing his book, no citizen of Stockholm has the remotest chance Of obtaining bottle of liquor any where in the city The regulation isl rigidly enforced.
 It is true that in some cases. how ever. exceptions are made. If one | can persuade the authorities that on E account of his social position and the E demands of constant entertainment one I1Ire every IlVe days Is totally in k adequate, and if the authorities are convinced that such a person can be E trusted with more liquor withouti abusing the privilege conferred upon him, he is then given a special license to purchase two. three or more Iitres,j according to- the circumstances Onl the other hand if the person is mo- torious drunkard, has police record, or has in any other way incurred the displeasure of the authorities, he is allowed no liquor at all. l For pur- poses of ascertaining the standing of the citizen in the community, an elab- crate, card catalogue system is main tained at the central bureau and all questions of allowing any person more or less than the ordinary amount of liquor are referred to this.
 The results of this system are a1- ready remarkable. In 1914, the to- tai consumpt ptions of spirituous liquors was only 2.979,682 Htres. compared with 5,o04.642N litres fos the year be- fore The decrease in 1915 has been even more marked. 1