THE AMERICAN-SCANDINAVIAN REVIEW 
175 
Sweden 
C| The Riksdag which opened witli the usual ceremonies on January 11 
may in several respects be called a turning-point in Swedish domestic 
policies. Women for the first time entered the political field as mem¬ 
bers of the nation’s legislative assembly. The financial depression 
under which the country labors will demand of this Riksdag the utmost 
economy in the matter of appropriations, and it has already been 
dubbed the “thrift Riksdag.” Nevertheless, although the budget pre¬ 
sented by the government is marked by an earnest desire to retrench, 
the figures with which it concludes are of alarming proportions. CJ It is 
difficult to make direct comparisons with previous years, inasmuch as 
the system of book-keeping this year is changed so as to make the fiscal 
year run from July 1 to June 30 instead of through the calendar year, 
and in order to avoid estimating for over a year ahead, which in the 
rapidly changing conditions of modern finance would be impracticable, 
the budget deals only with the first six months of 1923 instead of as 
usual with the full year. €][ In spite of this, it calls for an expenditure 
of no less than 673,000,000 kronor, including, however, the supple¬ 
mentary appropriations for the last half year of 1922 amounting to 
nearly 300,000,000 kronor, of which 50,000,000 kronor is for winding 
up the affairs of the Fuel Commission and 85,000,000 kronor for the 
relief of unemployment. In order to provide means to meet these 
expenses, the minister of finance proposes, besides the usual sources of 
revenue, an increased tax on alcohol and tobacco. In the King’s speech 
at the opening of the Riksdag, which is usually regarded both as a 
report of the government’s work since the last meeting and an outline 
of its programme for the coming session, there were references to pro¬ 
posed new laws and to the gloomy situation in regard to foreign 
relations, but the press has noted the absence of tangible suggestions 
as to how the government means to stabilize the economic situation, or 
cope with the foreign exchange difficulties, or improve the condition 
of the domestic industries. C]f According to estimates now made 
available, the harvest of last year amounted to approximately 3,000,000 
ton, that is about 300,000 ton more than the previous year. The 
grain and root crops were especially excellent, while the hay crop was 
not so good as in 1920. CJ The old residence of the foreign minister 
in Stockholm has in recent years often been empty, because the minister 
of foreign affairs has preferred to remain in his own home instead of 
moving into the house provided for him by the State. At the request 
of the King, the fine old building has now been renovated and fur¬ 
nished, in part with precious old furniture and works of art that have 
been preserved in the various collections of the State, and it will in 
future be a dignified background for the official entertainments of the 
minister. Premier Branting has already taken up residence there. 
