RACF.»IMPROVEMENT IN SWEDEN 75 



Swedes left their fosterland and settled in foreign countries, mostly in America. 

 At the present time 2 to 3 millions of Swedes are living in foreign lands (the 

 Swedes in Finland included). As it is the young and strong who preferably 

 emigrate, the statistics in respect to the people, divided into classes according to 

 age, are less favourable. Added to this there are the rigorous laws on immigration, 

 which have been in force during these latter years in U. S. A., whither the 

 strongest stream of emigrants has wandered, and which have brought about a 

 selection, so that the worst elements have been obliged to stay at home, while 

 the better elements have been allowed to enter America without any hinder. 

 As through this our country has lost no small number of fully satisfactory, from 

 a race»biological point of view, individuals and their offspring, one can concerning 

 this matter talk about a for us contra»selection respecting emigration. In hopes 

 of mending the matter, the state has started an exhaustive investigation respect* 

 ing emigration. And further the National Society against Emigration has been 

 working in the matter since 1907. It devotes itself partly to bringing enlight» 

 enment to the people, and partly to practical work especially in procuring small 

 holdings and own homes for the people. If the more efficient individuals are 

 offered better chances of making a home and settling down in Sweden, and of 

 becoming parents, the result will be a good addition to the next generation. The 

 struggle to prevent a too great amount of emigration, acts therefore in a for Sweden 

 positive eugenic direction. 



Industrialism also, and the flight from the country to the towns, works in an 

 anti'selective manner. The unfavourable effects of the former, one has sought to 

 avoid or to reduce as far as possible, through legislation on the matter. Our le* 

 gislation to protect the workers, which has a long pedigree, stands at present tol' 

 erably high. Regarding the employment of children in industry, there are to be 

 found detailed instructions which are intended to prevent the children from being 

 given too heavy work, such as might do harm to their development, too early 

 in life. In the same way there are to be found certain exceptional regulations 

 in respect to women industrial workers, as for example, that they are to be 

 allowed a free time both before and after the birth of a child, during which time 

 they can obtain pecuniary assistance also (Maternity help). Since 1919 the time 

 for work has been restricted by law to 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week. 



In regard to the migration from the country to the towns over a quarter of 

 Sweden's population live in the towns at the present time, while in 1800 only 

 a tenth did so. If one reckons all the thickly settled tracts, having at least 2,000 

 inhabitants as belonging to the towns, the number of town*dwellers reaches at 

 present to about a third of the population. Above all the circumstance that peo» 

 pie dwell so closely packed together, the greater extent of inebriety and sexual 

 diseases, and, as a rule, the more unhygienic work in the towns actsun favourab* 

 ly on their inhabitants. A danger that is underrated is the strong mixture of 

 blood which usually occurs in industrial centres which flourish rapidly. It is of 

 importance that sound state<craft should be brought to bear on the subject of 

 dwelling houses in the towns. During the latter years a considerable improvement 

 has certainly taken place till the war came with its unfavourable consequences, which 

 were felt even in regard to the housing question. Some of the larger industrial inter* 



