Evening star., 1931-12-29
FINLAND IS VOTING
TODAY ON DRY!LAW
Vets Confident of Victory as
Bad Weather Hampers
Rural Poll.
Ry the Associated Press.


HELSINGFORS, Finland, December
29-Skis and skates and sledges, rein
deer and automobiles, slithered and
squeaked over Finlands SHOWS today as
the voting portion of the country's
3,5O0,O0o people moved out to have its
say on the 13-year-old prohibition law.
Old Boreas blew a roaring blizzard
down from the north yesterday as a
fanfare to open the voting but prob
ably kept thousands of country people
at home because of impossible roads.
The polling places opened at am,
but the blizzard made voting real
sacrifice of personal comfort
Snow plowS cleared way for trolley
cars, automobiles and pedestrians and
hard-fisted laborers welding shovels
kept the sidewalks open at the voting
booths. With such bad weather neither
side was surprised at the small turn
out. but both predicted heavier vote
when the Offices and stores closed.
During brief but intense campaign
an unusually strong interest has been
aroused on both sides of the question
and observers here looked for heavy
poll during the two days-today and to-
tremely severe.
Reminded of Santa Claus
There was touch of Santa Claus to
the scene in the far northern sections,
where ''pulkas" filled with bundled
Firms and Lapps and drawn by rein
deer creaked through the darkness of
the long Arctic Winter night to reach
the voting urns in the villages.
In the farm country of the near
northern and central regions the voters
got out their skis. Skates and sleighs
twinkled over the frozen streams and
some of the country's $4,000 lakes.
In cities like the capital, where things
were wide open" last night and one
would never guess prohibition law pre-
vailed, automobiles carried the voters to
the schools and other public buildings
where the voting booths were set up.
The blizzard and the falling barometer
yesterday chilled the fervor at prohihi-
ton headquarters. The prohibitionists
count on the farmers. and workers to
keep the country legally dry.
Weather Encourages Vets.
At the same time, in the warm head
quarters of the "antis" hopes rose with
the tempo of the storm outside.
The chief stronghold of the drys is
Middle and Northern Finland" the Of
fetal in charge of the anti-prohibition
headquarters explained. Here in the
South and along the coast we know
what evils and corruption the law has
brought forth, so we are confident of
victory"
Prohibition headquarters officials
maintained the l3 dry years have been
a success, and have improved the eco
nomic condition of the country, increas-
ing savings accounts and raising living
standards. They admitted frankly that
there has been much corruption, but
insisted the remedy is more rigid en-
forcement instead of modification or
repeal.
Advisory to Legislature.
The issue is not a fiat alternative.
The voters will decide whether the law
is to be continued, repealed or modified
to permit medium strength wines and
beers.
The referendum is not self-effective.
The decision will be merely advisory to
the Legislature, but the Legislature is
expected to follow its dictates, if the
verdict Is decisive. If it fails to be de-
cisiyely in favor of maintaining the
law modified reform Is expected
If the -prohibitionists should win
by only a small lead it Is believed
enough votes can be mustered in Parlia-
ment to prevent repeal of the present
law. Such an eventuality, commentators
said, would probably lead to the dissolu-
tion of Parliament, with new elections