The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1909-12-23
TIDINCS FROM
SCANDINAVIA
Interesting News from Sweden,
Norway and Denmark.
COST OF LIVING IS VERY HIGH

in America as 1t Used To-Food
stuffs Are Largely Imported, Rent:
Have Gone UP EnormousLy-Man
Workingmen and Families Live ir
One Room and Kitchen.
SWEDEN.
Swedes who have been away from
their native land fifteen or more years
are accustomed to think that crown
in Sweden represents as much in buy
ing power as a dollar in America
That is no longer true. It was true
when agricultural was the main relir
ance of the country Farming used
to engage four-fifths of the people oil
the population. but now less than halt
of the people of Sweden make thei1
living from the land. Foodstuffs are
largely imported and pay customs
duties besides Workingmen have oh
tanned increases, and roughly speaking
they estimate that wages have been
doubled in fifteen years, but that the
cost of living has increased in about
the same scale. Since the big indus
trial growth, there has been a real es
tate boom in Stockholm and other
cities, and rents have gone up enor
mously. Now in Stockholm the great
mass of workingmen with families live
In one room and a kitchen. For this
they pay at the least 300 crowns, OF
$81 year. Most of them have to pay
324 crowns and in parts of Stockholm
nothing can be had for less than 400
crowns. Many families pay more than
one-fourth Of their income for two
rooms without heat or any modern
convenience The cost of bread is one
of the main complaints in Stockholm
and indeed it has gone so far that it
became the subject of a special in.
vestigation by the Stockholm city
government recently. The cost for the
present year has been an average of
6 cents pound for plain white bread
of the cheaper sort and there is of
course a general complaint that this
is too high.
Says Charles B. Cheney, the Mime.
apolis Journals Honolulu correspond
ent: Zone of the lessons of the great
strike last summer was that the PEG.
pie of Sweden can set along without
strong liquor. The success of partial
prohibition during the labor troubles,
which were devoid of riots and scenes
of disorder, has given big impetus
to the temperance cause. The prohibi.
tionists are asking the nation this
question: If it was good for Sweden
to give up liquor for a month why
would it not be better to give it up for
all timer Taking advantage of the
temperance wave that is on, the PRO
hibitionists have started a big enter
prise. They call it q 'plebiscite' on
the liquor question. 1t is what Ameci,
can politicians would call a straw vote,
and like all such votes, is being taken
by partisans. All who are engaged in
the work are friends of temperance
and of ultimate prohibition. Many en-.
gagged in it are not eager to try prohi-
bition at once, but are ready to help
agitation and progress along that line.
The work has been organized by a
joint committee Of all temperance
bodies, aided by numerous citizens out
side. Volunteers are working in every
parish and ward, and in the next
month Will see every person in SWe.
den over the age of eighteen. The pro-
hibitionists hope that the majority will
express themselves for prohibition.
Even if they fail, the agitators will
have lost nothing. They have been
tainted with representing mere
handful of people, and they expect 10
show by this vote that they are backed
by the sentiment of Millions
Selma Lagerlof has by the Nobel
committee been awarded the literary
prize, which amounts to about $40.
600. Miss Lagerlof is at present re-
garded as Sweden's greatest living
woman writer. Her books have been
extensively read in foreign countries
and have been translated into not less
than six different languages. 'Jeru-
salem, which brought her into the
llmelight of fame, has been read out
side of the Scandinavian countries.
very extensively in Germany and Eng
land. Signor Marconi and Professor
Karl Braun of Strassburg university
In Germany, have been awarded the
prize for physics which will be divided
between them. The honor has cone
to Signor Marconi, who is equally we'll
known on both sides of the Atlantic. in
recognition of his achievements with
wireless telegraphy. Professor Braun
will share the honor, it is said, because
of his Invention of various improve
ments in the Marconi system of wire
less telegraphy The Nobel prizes as
is known number five, of the average
value of $4,000 each, and are given an