Evening star., 1931-11-29


of drunkenness, the frequent direct
breaches of the prohibition act itself
have kept the Finnish police busy. The
Department of Social Affairs registered
33,056 infringements of the prohibition
act in 1929 and 28,796 during the previous
year. In other words, an average of 80
breaches of the dry law were brought
to the notice of the police every day.
Finland also has forged ahead in crimes
OF violence, scoring relatively to her
population, the highest rate in Europe.
ITEMS on expenditure for prohibition
were conspicuous In the first place
comes the ministry of justice, which at
tributes very great part of the total
prison costs, So 300, 900 Finnish marks, to
prohibition, and asks 400 900 marks for
extensions and new buildings. 1t further
demands 2,500,00O marks for the covering
of witness fees in cases of prohibition
offenSes. Under the ministry of finance
comes the work of the customs authori-
ties against the smuggling of liquor, the
estimated costs of which total 14,2OO,OOO
marks. Under the ministry of social af-
fairs there are the expenses connected
with the work of improving Sobriety,
which ought not to be necessary in a
prohibition country, yet estimated at
$500 900 marks. Finally, $500 900 marks
must be added to prohibitions toll for
the maintenance of additional state and
municipal police.
Alarmed by mounting budgets and dis
respect for law the Finnish government
named an investigating body to study
conditions. This group-Finlands wick
erSham Commission" its inquiries
last Winter. Membership on the COM
mittee cut through all party lines as
does the issue, and represented all fields
of Finnish life. Edward Bjorkenheim,
nobleman, holder of large estates, long q
leader in agrarian questions, in his youth
free church minister and an ardent
temperance advocate, was the chairman
of the committee, which took his name.
He had been powerful influence in Sc
curing the enactment of the prohibitory
law. Mrs. Tilma Hainari, outstanding
figure in women's temperance work and
delegate to the League of Nations, was
the only woman member.
Other members were Dr. Einar AIT
tinen, pSychiatriSt and director of the
State Insane Hospital; Gumar Kihlaman,
former diplomat and now bank direc-
tor; another banker, Arvo Linturi; Her.
man Paavilainen, business man, and
Johan Virtanen, president of the Social
Democratic Temperance League, a radi-
cally dry organization.
These were the investigators who
checked on the progress temperance had
made under the operation of the statute.
Many Of them had been keenly enthus-
iastic for the success of the law when it
was first adopted; yet after surveying
the conditions following IL years of
prohibition, they condemned it as i'm
moral and degrading and recommended
it's repeal. AS substitute they suggest
ed regulation permitting the manufac-
ture and sale of beer with 80 per cent
alcohol content and wines with IL per
cent A system of local option, by which
any community could forbid the manu-
facture and sale of such beers and wines,
also was recommended
But foreSeeing the recurrence of pres
ent problems if such local option laws
were passed, they added clause that no
community could stop the Importation of
liquor of any strength so long as it was
destined for personal consumption in
private homes. The hope is expressed,
nevertheless, that the legalization of IL
per cent beverages will reduce the pres
ent inclination to strong drink
These proposals have been submitted
to the cabinet. The cabinet may or may
not hand the committees report to the
Diet in the form of bill. But, as this is
being written, the Conservative and
Progressive members of the cahine+ ara