The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-01-21

liquor control for the United States l by Henry w. Anderson of the Wick ersham law enforcement commission should bring to this nations atten- | tion the fact that prohibition is a problem that has sorely vexed other countries and probably will always | continue to do so, as long as intoxi- eating liquors can be made and tastes remain the same. However there is but one other nation in the civilized world that has prohibition | similar to ours. It exists in Finland, so for the moment the discussion will deal with Finland and it's solu- l tion of liquor problems.
 l First off it must be remembered that Finland is a republic, it's inde- pendence having been declared in 1920 when a treaty was signed with
 Russia. It elects representatives and a president somewhat after the United States fashion. Equal suffrage is granted male and female, "A years old. A prohibition enforcement law
 outlawing all liquor with an alco- holic content of over ? per cent be- came effective on June 1, 1919. This law was one of the first passed
 after the Finnish Diet in 1919 had
 decided to establish a republic. The state has the right to import
 or manufacture wines or liquors for medical, scientific, religious or in- dustrial uses. The sales under this
 provision have risen steadily since
 passage of the dry law. It is also estimated that an immense amount of liquor is smuggled into the na- tion annually. Arrests for drunken ness have steadily increased and the ori fa iS tho recent attempt to increase the legal alcohol
 ic limit to 3 per cent has met with no success as the prohibition forces are well organized.
 The United States has often been urged to adopt the Canadian system of liquor manufacture and sales. In
 brief it follows The government is always the seller in Canada and
 there is no such thing as a saloon.
 In the province of Ontario liquor is
 bought at government stores and
 must be consumed in the home. A permit to purchase must be secured. Oddly enough one quarter of those issued annually go to Americans Wines can be sold without permits In the province of Quebec no per-
 init is needed to buy at the govern-
 ment stores, but only one bottle is sold to a customer. However, one
 man may go to as many stores as he desires or return to the same one.
 Wine is sold in unlimited quantities
 and also can be sold and consumed in hotels and restaurants.
 Quebec like most of the other Canadian provinces has experiment. ed with prohibition. It had the
 honor of passing a prohibition act in 1918 and repeating it before it went into effect. Partial prohibition was in effect in Quebec until the present system was established in 1921. In Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba, liquor permits are required. New Brunswick and
 Saskatchewan do not require them Nova Scotia was dry until 1929
 when it voted wet and now has it's
 government stores. Prince Edward
 Isle is the sole Canadian province
 that is now dry.
 The Swedish or Bratt system has been explained pretty thoroughly in this papers editorial and news col
 umns so it will be reviewed briefly
 here. The present liquor control followed the Gothenburg plan adopted in 1865 by which saloons were abolished and certain hours
 prescribed for liquor sales. The Bratt system provides for govern
 
 liquor monopoly. This central house retails to 12O dispensaries in 120 districts. To one individual of family, over 25 years of age, is is-
 sued "motbook" which allows the
 owner to purchase wines or liquors four litres a month being the limit. The "motbook" is guarantee of character and there isn't more than
 one to every four residents. By is-
 suing them the government prevents alcoholics and liquor addicts from | many districts in Sweden that are dry and any desiring to change can do so. Intoxicants can. however be brought into dry district for per- sonal use. In restaurants wines will be sold in proportion to the amount of food consumed.
 Denmark has met the prohibition situation by placing excessive taxes on spirits. Whereas before the war
 bottle to-day it would retail for $2.50. Liquor consumption. has
 dropped from 13,000,000 litres be-
 fore the tax to 100000 since it. | Norway now follows a. system of lJiquor control and sales on the Swe, f. dish plan. It experimented with
 prohibition during the World war but overwhelmingly voted 1t down after the Armistice had been
 signed
 | In England spirits are heavily
 taxed and sold in public houses and
 other establishments only between
 certain hours. However. the coun-
 try is menaced by so-calieI "clubs"
 where drinks are sold and consumed
 on the premises.
 Germany prohibits the sale of liquors on pay-days. Bulgaria has | prohibitad sesns ir cofes. 70 hs ~at--