Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-02-07
SWEDEN.

At the present time Sweden pos
sesses between 10000 and 1000 miles
of railways in actual use. but there
are several thousand miles more I'M
der construction or with concessions
granted. About one-thlrd of the Swed-
ish railway lines are owned and oper-
ated by the government These lines
include most of the main lines. Some
of them are still owned by private
corporations, but II is only question
of time when the government will buy
them. in order to have all the trunk
lines under its direct control Sweden
has more railways in proportion 10 its
population than any other country in
Europe. The total capital invested In
all the Swedish railways is at the
present about $3.50. 100000. an invest
ment almost equally divided between
the gOvernment-owned and the private
lines. The government also has con
tributed with large sums to the con-
struction of the latter. The combina-
ton of aforementioned trunk lines
and private branch lines has been
working very well. But the tendency
is toward a Capitalization of the lat
ter, which ultimately might lead 10 a
complete government ownership of all
Sweden's railways. The government
lines have yielded an average annual
net profit of about 4 per cent. Eu-
ropean record. The Swedish govern
ment operates In cooperation with thu
German government direct railway
traffic between Stockholm and Berlin
via Trelleborg-Sassnitz. where large
steam ferries take the whole trains
over the Baltic sea. The equipment
of these trains is just as good as
that of our best limiteds. Through
the operation of a so-called zone"
tariff for passenger traffic. the rates
Of the government railroads are gem
orally low.
The Swedish government has de-
rived millions every year from its for
ests. The Swedish government for
ests-crown parks ashley are called
are regarded as model institution
and many foreign commissions have
visited Sweden 10 study the way In
which this country is handling Its
crown domains, which also consist of
land used for agricultural purposes.
The Swedish government is today con.
Quoting a lumber and farm business
on n large scale. The laws relating
to the Swedish private forests have
insured them against numbering. which
clearly endanger the regrowth Of the
timber. At first the private owners
disliked the government regulations.
but very soon they found out that the
policy of saving the forests would best
benefit even their own interests. At
present the program of conservation
of the national resources of Sweden
therefore Is carried out without much
opposition.
The wages of the railroad men are
general higher in Sweden than in 9th
er European countries. The govern
ment pays special additions to the
regular wages 10 the employees on its
own lines in order to make II possible
for them TO meet the increased cost OF
living. which has been especially high
in the northern part Of the country.
At the opening of the riksdag Jan
uary II. King Gustaf, speaking from
the throne said Eve have been able,
by the grace Of God. TO avoid being
drawn into the war. But we cannot
shut our eyes to the profound gravity
of the present hour" King Gustaf
made an appeal for national unity and
announced the need of maintaining
the special preparations by land IN
sen forces. which hitherto had been
Judged Indispensable, and alluded 20
the extraordinary measures neceSsi-
ta,ed by the increasing extent of war
operations in territorial waters,
The Swedish government has been
extremely successful as n business
man. especially during the last decade.
and It Is therefore. no wonder that
the public sentiment favOrs increased
business activity on the part o. the
government.
Al present Sweden has sugar and
bread cards. and similar restrictions
on the consumption Of other eonn0di- |
ties are expected to follow within a
very short time. II the war continues
state socialism has received a ire
mendous stimulation during the war