Evening star., 1932-04-03
F|NNS GET LIQUOR
BACK ON TUESDAY
Republic Is Preparing to
Celebrate Passing of
Prohibition.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
uET CTNcEnDS EioIo,

special DSpaJCn 10 Inc star.
HELSINGFORS, Finland, April q
When, on Tuesday, the Finnish repub-
lie, officially dry Is years becomes wet
habits of the people They will merely
take their bottles from under the table
and put them on top.
In spite of the dry law, liquor of high
alcoholic strength, usually about sc pei
cent pure alcohol, has been Smugglet
in from all the non-Ffnnish ports oi
the Baltic throughout the dry" re-
gime, and sold at prices which made
1t temptingly easy to buy. The result
say those who have brought legalizeo
liquor back, was that Finland became q
hard drinking country rather than ar
abstemious one, as she used to be.
Many in the educated classes regard
ed prohibition as infringing on personal
liberty. The working classes felt they
were too heavily taxed, and the govern
ment, perpetually short of money
watched with disgust and envy the
bootleggers carrying on their thriving
trade and proSpering hugely under the
noses Of the police.
Increased Revenue Needed.
The government needed new sources
Of income. 1t was argued that legalized
liquor would divert considerable of the
bootleggerS' profits to the government
The object of the new Finnish liquor
law, then, is to provide revenue for
the state, at the same time stopping
Illicit liquor traffic.
The law does not expressly limit the
amount of liquor that may be bought
at one time. On the other hand. it does
not permit any individual to store more
than 20 litreS, about Az gallons, of malt
liquors and wines. or 5 litres, a little
over l gallon, of spirits. This restric-
ton is to prevent development of secret
drinking places.
The government reserves the monop-
oily of manufacture, import and sale oi
liquors, to be operated through an in
viduals permitted to bring alcoholic
beverages into the country are repre-
sentatives of foreign governments, COM
mercial travellers who may bring in
samples and foreign tourists who may
bring in small amounts.
Division Of Profits.
1t is of interest how the profits
earned by the monopoly company are
to be distributed. Thirty-five per cent
will be retained for general needs OF
the government. Thirty per cent will
be allocated TO municipalities in which
the liquor trade is not carried on
sparsely populated districts. The re-
manning SIS per cent will be devoted to
promoting temperance and increasing
the old age and disability insurance
fund.
In restaurants, liquor will be served
from noon until half an hour before
closing time at night. The retail shops
of the monopoly company will be oper
from 10 am. until pm. Their Gus
toners must carry purchases away. De-
livery Is forbidden
No doubt Tuesday will be well cele.
brated in Finland Advertisements oi
French wines, Scotch whisky and Eng
lish and German beers are appearing ir
the press and the existing government
organization for the supply of alcoholic
liquors for medical purposes Is being
overwhelmed with offers from foreign
firms.
The general public rejoices, feeling
that an expensive experiment has ended
(Copyright, 1892, by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc)