PROHIBITION IN FINLAND.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 932, 16 January 1908, Page 22

PROHIBITION IN FINLAND.

The only measure of firs.-c ass myorance during the first session of the new F nnish Diet (says the “ Times ” correspondent, writing from Helsingfors) has been a very drastic measure totally prohibiting all traffic in intoxicating liquors. Only for med cal and techncal purposes may spirits be produced, imported, stored, and distributed as a State monopoly. Exceptions are made for the Russian troops in Finland. The etc esias ica’. use of wine is forb.dden, and some non-alcoholic beverage must be substituted at the Communion. One member —a ma e one, it may be added —could not see why churches shou’d be the only taverns left in the country. No one is allowed to keep alcoholic drinks in his howe, unless he can prove that he came into possess on of them before the law comes into force. The law authorises the police and various other officials to ener any house, on reasonab’e grounds of suspicion, and search it for spirit, w’ne, or beer. Carrying alcoholic matter involves the forfeiture of the vehic e, with horse and harness ; similarly a vessel, the principal cargo of wh ch consists of alcoholic dr.nks, will be seized. Penalties for other offences against the ’aw are exceedingly heavy, varying from a fine ct to penal.servitude for three years. There is no provision in the law for compensation for ths oss of licen-es and of the capi al and goodwill rtpresen .ed by breweries and distHler es, etc., but the committee reporc on the question contains, though rather reluctantly, vague hints of the posfib’-li y

of future legis’ation on this matter. Some at least of the supporters of the law probably voted for it for merely tactical. reasons, hereby satisfying the demands of their constituents, and at the same time running no risk of its ever coming into force. For there is hardly any member, among the more sober temperance party, at least, who really believes that '.his enactment w 11 receive the sanction of the Sovereign. For one thing, there are commercial treaties, over which Finland has no control, between Russia and foreign countries which will be c’osely affected by the prohibition law. This fact has not been totally overlooked by the Diet, but the committee report argues that these treaties are not applicable. This, however, will be a matter to be decided by the contracting parties. The alcohol consumption in Finland is not very high ; in fact, the alcohol index for the country is lower than for any other country in Europe, but there is a great deal of drunkenness.