THE A M E RIC A N-SC A N DIN A VIA N Ii E VIEW 
501 
Sweden 
CJ The Riksdag, during the last part of the session which closed a fort¬ 
night before midsummer, took action on a number of important ques¬ 
tions. Among other things it decided, in accordance with the report 
of the Riksdag committee to which the matter had been referred, not 
to accept the government proposal for a commercial treaty with Rus¬ 
sia. The refusal was based on the argument that co-operation with 
Russia must now be considered a matter of international import, and 
that the treaty as submitted was of too marked a political character, 
while the practical advantages to Sweden were not sufficient to warrant 
its acceptance under those circumstances. CJ Furthermore, the Riks¬ 
dag voted down the government measure seeking to prolong until 
1924 the emergency law for the regulation of rent by a specially cre¬ 
ated commission to which either party could refer any case of dis¬ 
agreement. It is a general hope that the repeal of this restriction will 
again stimulate building which is so sorely needed. On the other hand, 
many think it yet too early to make way for the general raising of 
rents that will surely follow when the bars are removed. How evenly 
divided the opinion is may best be seen by the fact that the issue was 
decided by a majority of only one vote. C| The Riksdag has con¬ 
sented, at the proposal of the government, to raise the import duty 
on coffee to 50 ore per kilogram, in order to obtain sufficient funds 
to cover the deficit shown by the budget. It is curious that while this 
year the Socialist government accepts this expedient, a similar meas¬ 
ure last year occasioned a cabinet crisis because the Socialists objected 
to the proposed tax on the poor man’s luxury, coffee. €| It has been 
noted as an event of considerable importance, revealing a certain 
change of attitude, that Premier Branting, on June 6, which for 
several reasons is regarded as Sweden’s national day, was a speaker 
at a patriotic celebration in the Stadion arranged for the purpose of 
doing homage to the Swedish flag. Formerly the Socialists have been 
in the habit of regarding such patriotic celebrations as a veiled propa¬ 
ganda for Conservative principles, Among the departments of 
public service which have recently been subjected to thorough in¬ 
vestigation is the Stockholm Food Commission formed during the 
war for the regulation of the purchase and distribution of food. The 
investigation has revealed a shocking carelessness in the use of public 
funds. The auditors have been especially scathing in their censure. 
They have refused to give the members of the commission credit for 
any judgment or ability whatever, and have recommended that they 
be not released from responsibility for the deficit of 15,000,000 kronor 
which is revealed, or for their careless bookkeeping, their wasteful 
self-indulgence while the city was half starving, and similar things 
of a decidedly unedifying character. 
