The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1917-01-06
Sweden.

the liquor problem has attracted the
attention OF sOciologists and econo-
mists all over the world. and the &c
ton OF the city council In perpetuating
the Bratt system will be universally
regarded as an important event. An
other organization contested for the
franchise, but the council could see no
reason for making change. BY re-
newlng the franchise the city authori-
ties have set the stamp OF their APP
prevail on novel plan of controlling
consumption. which was first intro
duced by the Stockholm company and
In the beginning gave the company
unique position among the many dis
interested management" companies
that have been In existence under the
so-called "Gothenburg system" This
plan, briefly stated. involves a sys-
TEN by which those controlling the
sale of liquor are enabled to say to
the consumers; 'Be good. or you'll
get no liquor" DR.. Ivan Bratt, a
former physician, sociologist and
student of the drink question. Is the
father of this idea, whose outstanding
feature Is the regulation Of the retail
trade by means of passboOk, called
In Swedish "motbok." The Stockholm
System Joint Stock company has au-
thority to conduct all retail establish
ments for the sale of liquor to be
drunk on the premises, but may also
delegate this authority to private per-
sons or companies. Control Of sales
at the "off' places Is effected by
means of the passbook referred to. A
passbook is issued to an adult resident
Of the city upon application. provided
his or her record justifies Il. The COM
pany maintains an elaborate card in
dex, in which are listed not only all
persons to whom books have been Is
sued or from whom they have been
withdrawn. but also all persons to
whom, If they apply, books will not be
issued. Books are not issued to habi-
tual drunkards. to persons who have
been arrested for drunkenness within
year last past, to paupers or to per
sons who have figured unpleasantly In
police court records. Until recently
the passbooks authorized the purchase
of 60 liters of spirits yearly, of which
not more than one-third Of a liter
could be bought every two days. Ow-
ing to an enforced reduction In the
distillation of spirits due to the nee
essity for conserving Sweden's avail
able supply of breadstuffs, this amount
has Just been reduced to 4S liters year
ly, and q further reduction is proba-
BILE. The Stockholm System company
differs from an ordinary stock COM
pany in two important respects, name
ly, the manner in which the directors
are appointed and the limitation of Its
profits. One Of the five directors Is
named by the state, two are chosen
by the city council of Stockholm, and
the other two by the shareholders.
The company's capital is 100000
crowns, and the profits available for
dividends may not exceed per cent
on the capital, making only 10000
crowns available for distribution to
stockholders. All excess profits accrue
to the state.
| The fate of Fran, the famous Morse
polar ship. has aroused almost as
much interest in Sweden as In Nor
way, and one effect of this interest
was to raise the question, what has
become of Vega. the famous ship In
which the Swedish explorer, Norden
skiold, made his memorable voyage OF
| discovery? Dagens Nyheter called
upon Admiral Palander of Vega wht
ought to be better informed as to the
history of the famous vessel than any
other person, and was informed tina
the ship is resting securely on the bot
| tom of the sea. After it's voyage OF
discovery the vessel was sold to {
whale fishing company, which trans
ferred 1t later to a Morse company
The Morse concern sold it to whale
fishing company of Dundee, and while
Tin Melville bay 1t was caught In thu
pack ice, crushed and sunk. Admira
| Palander says that he Is glad the shiI
found permanent grave In cold pure
water.
An interesting news letter from
Stockholm says that the city council
of Sweden's capital has just renewed
for another term of three years the
monopoly for the sale of intoxicating
liquors which 1t granted to the Stock
holm System company three years ago