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250 nr. constitution and administration op sweden.
Table 40. Revenues of the communities during 1876/95 and in 1899.1
Average for the years Mean population. Amount of revenue. Kronor (& 1"10 shilling). Per
inhabit.
Tun. State grants. > Other »rennes. TotaL Kronor.
1876/80 ............4,MO,000 23,558,000 2,716,000 16,484,000 42,798,00» 950
1881/85 ............4,605,000 26,952,000 3,318,000 20,658,000 50,028,000 11-06
1886,90 ............4,742,000 29,356,000 4,114,000 25,321,000 $8,701,000 12-40
1891/95 ............4,832,000 34,161,000 4,753,000 28,272,000 07,186,000 13 90
In 1899 ............5,080,000 40,884,000 6,060,000 39,716,000 86,600,000 17-06
considerably increased since then. In 1900 the total number (men,
women, and bodies corporate) amounted to 829,487, hence a very great
increase since 18923.
The democratic decrees now spoken of as affecting the municipal
suffrage get quite a different character through the way in which
count is made of the number of votes. In fact, every person possessed
of the right to vote has a number of votes proportionate to the amount
he pays in taxes — with certain restrictions. In the country communities
every member has one vote for each tenth of a krona, paid in »General
Supply»; however, no more than five thousand votes and no more than
a tenth of the total unreduced number of votes in the community; in
the to tens: one vote for each entire krona of the same tax, though no more
than a hundred votes and no more than a fiftieth of the total number.
This »graduated suffrage» undoubtedly gives a peculiarly plutocratic stamp to
Swedish municipal administration, but, nevertheless, the system on the whole works
better than one would be a priori inclined to expect. The innate moderation and
regard for the rights of others which is characteristic of the Swedish people,
manifests itself in this case also, and many a time citizens possessing an
extraordinarily large number of votes voluntarily refrain from exercising the influence
which the law has conferred on them. Besides this, the superior influence put into
the hands of the wealthier and more educated classes often counteracts the
narrow-mindedness and short-sightedness which very frequently accompany a purely
democratic form of government. On the whole, Swedish municipal administration can
for competence and integrity bear comparison with that of any other country; but if
instances of undue influence are rarer than might be expected, still there will
always remain one defect in the system, viz. that it withholds from the masses the
valuable education which a greater participation in communal life might afford them.
C) The municipal authorities are partly authoritative and partly
executive. With regard to the authoritative element there is one
very peculiar circumstance, i. e. that, as a rule, this authority is not
exercised by any kind of representative, but immediately by the voters
themselves as a body. Thus it comes about that one may see
authoritative municipal meetings consisting of several hundred, possibly even
of a thousand persons.
1 Parishes as well as lay communities. — 1 Principallv for the Common schools
(in 1899 about 5,541,000 kronor for this purpose). — » Both 190Ö and 1892 include, however,
such as are in arrears for unpaid rates; see above.
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