Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1909-02-11

portunIty - Precedents Established
by Former Kings Are Not Binding
on Him-Is Winning Thousands OF
Friends.
SWEDEN.
That King Gustaf is a man who has
the interests of all his subjects at
heart is best evinced by his economi.
cal methods, which he is putting in
practice everywhere. Unlike many
other rulers, he does not believe In red
tape, and whenever he sees an op
portunity to dispense with foolish old
customs he does not hesitate to do so.
In former years whenever set of citi
zens were appointed from any com.
munity TO go to Stockholm to secure
the kings good will for certain in.
stitution or project, it was necessary
to notify him in advance, and such
committees had to submit themselves
better express it, antiquated red
tape" Not SO with King Gustaf. He
makes all his subjects feel perfectly at
home with him and whenever he has
q chance to abolish old fads and Gus.
toms he does so. He does not seem
to be bound or have any respect for
precedents established by former
kings, including his distinguished
father, the learned King Oscar, who,
however, was far more aristocratic
and hard to reach" than his son. The
other day the chairman of a delega-
ton appointed in Lapland to journey
very nearly thousand miles to see
the king and urge him to complete the
building of the Inland railway at the
earliest time possible, wrote and asked
his majesty when 1t would be con-
yenient to see him and IL 1t was at all
possible that he would listen to their
request. King Gustaf answered i'm
mediately and said that he would be
glad to see them at any time, but that
he thought that 1t would be unneces.
sary for the committee to make the
long journey at such great expense
and informed them that he had al
ready arranged that the work on the
Inland railway be pushed with all the
speed that was possible under the ex.
listing circumstances. This is King
Gustaf's way of doing business with
his subjects and 1t Is needless to say
that he is winning thousands of
friends every day through his demo
cratic disposition and his democratic
manner of handling all questions of
Importance, be they large or small.
According to the Stockholm's Aften-
blad, the population in the Swedish
capital is decreasing. The chief cause
given Is exorbitant rents. Most peo-
pie who move away from Stockholm
do not move out of the country alto
gether, but they move into smaller
country towns near Stockholm, where
they can exist cheaper. The suburbs
of Stockholm are going to increase in
population wonderfully during the next
few years. People find that they can
live cheaper there and pay only half
the rent they do in the city In the
Klara section of Stockholm the popu-
lation during the past year decreased
by about 1884.
The Geographical society of New.
castle-on-Tyne has invited DIR. Sven
Hedin, the eminent Asiatic explorer
to lecture there Feb. %. Mr.. Hedin
has received SO many invitations to
lecture In different parts of Europe
that 1t would take him whole year
to fill them, figuring that he would
give one lecture week. He is today
the most talked of person In Sweden
and scientists all over the world are
anxiously awaiting to hear his lecture
or see the result OF his explorations in
print.
The Swedish Anglo-American Is the
name of new paper published In
Stockholm since the first Of the year
in the English language in the interest
of the English society, which has a
membership of about 400. There are
at least 500 English speaking people
in the Swedish capital at present. The
general manager of the paper will be
M. A. Seyner, a wealthy grocery mer.
chant. The editor Is ID. Erskine Kidd
an Englishman. who has for a number
of years resided in Sweden.
W. W. Thomas, former United
States minister to Sweden, has pur.
chased Civil Engineer C. G. Smiths
beautiful summer villa in Karlshamm
known as "Solhem." It adjoins Anne
HILL" which will now be occupied by
Thomas father-in-law, Bank Director
II. r. Tornebladh. Ex-Minister Thorn
as thrives we'll in Sweden and will
spend the remainder of his days there
He is married to a Swedish noble
woman, who has fortune In her own
right.
Gothenburg papers state that the
maritime industry Is practically at q
standstill at present. There are al
present not less than rs vessels out Of
commission In Gothenburg harbor, OF
which number SO are steamers. No,
In the memory of the oldest sailors
has there been so little doing In the
maritime line az now. and consequent
ly there are hundreds of men and lott
OF ship owners who are losing time
and money.
John Swanberg, the Swedish runner