Evening star., 1920-02-23
DRY COMPROMISE
RAPED IN SWEDEN
Restricted Liquor Salt
Arouses Antagonism of
Divided Elements.
BY HAL rOTLAHERTY.

BY Cablegram to The Star and the
Chicago Daily News. Copyright. 1920.
STOCKHOLM. Sw eden, February II.
Partial prohibition as enforced in
Sweden has met all tho requirements
of those who laid the basis for the
liquor laws. 1t has reduced consump-
cannot get more than is considered
good for the average drinker and it
has cut off the supplies to drunkards
and lawbreakers. but everywhere
partial measures fall to satisfy either
the vets or the drys. Even in Sweden.
where the most perfect compromise
system between complete prohibition
and unrestricted sale has been opera
tive for five years. the bitterest an
tagonism comes from both elements
Liquor Director Criticised.
DR.. Ivan Bratt. director Of Swedens s
liquor control system and undoubted-
ly the most criticised man in the
country, remains firm in the belief
that he has worked out the only COM
promise system offering the possibili-
ty of practical enforcement, but he re-
fuses to make any prediction as to
how long it will work.
DR.. Bratt maintains an office in a
building devoted wholly to the direc-
ton of this liquor controlling corpora
ton, which is known as Stockholm s
Systemet.' In the same building is
an office where the residents Of
of which contains fifty application
blanks. In making an application q
resident or foreigner temporarily in
the city must state age and BIRTH
place, whether he is married, whether
he has any family and whether he
hos
mu st also sign an index card. At the
end of each week all the police courts.
inebriate asylums, hospitals and
warehouses report to this office any
persons in their charge holding mot
books or who might apply for them
in the future. These reports are
carefully examined, and if any names
appear of persons holding notebooks
an order is Immediately issued to take
up the book.
Prices Fixed by Government.
The central building also houses
the Offices Of the purchasing depart
ment, which buys continual supplies
from all the European countries and
keeps the stocks up to a predetermined
level in all the distributing centers
Thirty-one beer stores are established
at varios points throughout the city,
where the notebook holders buy spir-
erning board Of the system. Mar
ried men are allowed four liters Zap
proximately one gallon)o of whisky per
month. Bachelors are limited to two
liters and unmarried women are al
lowed two liters. Only one notebook
is issued to each family.
The purchasers have wide range
of choice. The lowest grade Of whis-
ky sells at kroner (about $500
per liter Zone quartz. A new cellu-
lose brandy made as by-product Of
wood pulp. costs 2 kroner (about 40
cents) per liter. In establishing the
ration of liquor the controllers of
the system have been using the sup
ply as a basis. giving each notebook
holder his pro rata share. but it is
possible that this plan will be dis
carded 1t the supply should reach the
point of allowing a greater ration
than the average drinker consumes.
1t was rather astonishing to Learn
that of Sweden's population of 6,000.-
900 nearly 100000 buy at least half
| the notebook holders take the full
allowance, but the big majority buy
| to the limit and are willing to take
| more if possible. The whole system
| applies only to purchases made in
quantity outside the restaurants.
tion and is allowed to sell this
amount at a profit, but when the al
lowance is exhausted it must pay to
| the government all the profits made
over the controlled price in buying
supplies through the system.
Bone Dry Laws Prophesiea.
Despite this elaborate and intricate
| machinery TOR restricting the con-
| sumption o. liquors, it is plainly only
a halfway step to the abolition
of the traffic. Having taken the
j, half step. it is only a matter
of time before the completed
effort is made which will make
Sweden and the other Scandinavian
countries as dry as the United States.
All have expressed the opinion that
unrestricted sale of liquor is the
worst thing possible for society.
Having reached that stage. they are
now marking time until the people
for hone dHYnala