Evening star., 1937-06-13

mates all activities The distributors
or consumers societies handle about
one-third of the retail trade of Fin
land. stocking and distributing every
kind of article sold in 4038 branch
shops. scattered throughout the coun-
try. About 80 per cent of grocery
sales are also made through these
cooperative societies.
The system is similar to the chain
grocery stores Of the United States
and in Finland it also includes dairies,
margarine factories, -four mills, bak-
cries, drug stores, meat shops, can
neries, cafes and restaurants. brew
cries and other commercial establish
ments. Goods imported by the CO.
operatives are purchased direct from
the producer through the Scandi-
navian cooperative central Office in
Copenhagen.
The latest report from Finland
for the first quarter of 1887 gives
definite indication that this country
has been experiencing a period of
economic boom 'equalling, and in
many respects surprising that Of the
pre-depresslon years of unprecedented
prosperity" The value of foreign
trade during the quarter was 1854
million marks. an increase of %
per cent compared with the first
quarter of 1886. Imports amounted
to 1902 millions. an increase of 81
per cent. and exports amounted TO
1852 millions, an increase of l3 per
cent.
Unemployment. the report states
further, was practically non-existent."
Wages were tending upward, and minor
labor conflicts resulting from de-
mands for higher wages, all ended in
victory for the workers.
There exists at present a trade
agreement between the United States
and Finland. which was designed to
maintain and improve the mutually
beneficial trade relations between the
effective November 2, 1886. Trade
between these two countries developed
satisfactorily under normal conditions
and reached a total of almost $40
100000 in 1924 total that was re-
duced to about sl2000,0OO by 1884,
but again recovered to attain s2l 000,-
600 in 1885. The objectives of the
present agreement are to protect ex-
lsting trade by assurances against new
or additional restrictions. including
duties; and to facilitate expansion Of
the trade through reductions in ex-
isting rates of duty.
THE country itself has a strange
fascination, with its tortuous
coastline and countless islands. peace
full lakes and winding waterways. and
forest-clad landscapes. In outline the
map of Finland has been compared
to a draped female figure. with the
waters of the Baltic laving the right
foot and the left foot forming a bar
rier between Lake Ladoga and the
Gulf of Finland, while the promontory
formed by the right knee almost
divides the Gulf Of Bothnia into two
parts The right arm is outstretched
lo"hIu ttlC ilpl pilNNSb civ tiiC ltll
toward the northeast. with the hand
plunged into the Arctic Ocean. The
face and arms are exposed to the rays
Of the midnight sun,
Finland bears little geographical re-
semblance to Greenland, apart from
the similarity of latitude, and. owing
to the warm current Of the Gulf
Stream, has much more favorable
climate than might be inferred from
her northerly position. There are no
glaciers, and nowhere is the ground
covered with snow all the year round.
There are more than $4,000 lakes in
the country, and about 40 per cent of
the total area is swamp and bog land.
The country is bi-lingual, speaking
Finnish and Swedish, although the
tendency of the present generation is
to develop the Finnish national spirit
and establish Finnish customs and
language in the country, to the exclu
sion of Swedish. 1t was at one time
under Swedish dominion, and the
Swedes had the capital and developed
the industries. While this part of the
population is now in the minority,
they still exercise considerable in
fluence. The Firms are glowing more
intensely nationalistic each year and
have converted the Swedish names Of
their cities into Finnish. Hence the
former Helsingfors, the capital Of
Finland, Is now Helslnki, and other i'm