Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - First part - III. Constitution and Administration - 3. Municipal Administration. By G. Aldén, Deputy Editor, Stockholm - Self-Government of the Communities
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
self-government of the communities. 251
Table 41. Expenditures of the communitiesYearly averages
Expenditures for 1876/80. Kronor. 1881/85. Kronor. 1886/90. Kronor. 1891/95. Kronor. In 1899. Kronor.
Clergy......................................9,029,000 9,644,000 10,014,000 10,634,000 11,350,000
Common schools............8,249,000 9,986,000 11,831,000 14,049,000 19,325,000
Belief of the poor .. 7,377,000 8,656,000 9,535,000 11,613,000 13,804.000
Medical attendance». 1,564,000 1,721,000 2,352,000 2,907,000 4,676,000
Technical schools’... 604,000 644,000 832,000 867,000 995,000
Public buildings etc.* 10,301,000 13,693,000 14,386,000 17,562,000 35,750,000
Other purposes*..............8,439,000 10,481,000 12,024,000 13,869,000 16,566,000
Total 43,563,000 54,825,000 | M,»74000 71,501,000 102,4M,000
This ultra-democratic system (a direct descendant of the primitive
Germanic Folk-meetings) prevails in country communities almost
universally. On the other hand, in towns it is only allowed in the smallest,
i. e. those with a population of less than 3,000. Even these small
towns may, moreover, elect a representative, if they wish, and this is
obligatory in the case of the larger ones. — The deliberative and
authoritative Communal Assembly is called, in the country,
Kommunalstämma, in towns, Allmän rådstuga.
In the country communities, the Communal Assembly elects its own president
and vicepresident for four years, but in the towns the mayor is ipso facto president.
Ordinary assemblies are held in the country communities three times a year, viz. in
March, October, and December. Extraordinary meetings are, however, held (usually
at least five in the course of the year) for transacting special business. In the towns,
the assembly ordinarily meets only twice a year, viz. in June and December.
Communal Assemblies settle general communal business, elect the
executive officers, and possess the right of levying communal taxes. The
general tax of the Community is assessed according to what each person
pays to the State in the tax called General Supply, which is a direct tax
(in some measure a progressive tax) on property and income (cf. page 208).
A bare majority is, with few exceptions, required for carrying a
resolution at the Communal Assemblies. The resolution may be appealed
against by any member of the Community, whether he has a vote or not,
if he is of opinion that such a resolution infringes on his private rights
or is contrary to law. His plaint is brought before the Governor, from
whom a further appeal can be lodged with the Government of the State.
In certain cases, the express sanction of the Governor is required,
in others, even that of the State Government. The most
important of the first-mentioned cases is the imposition of rates extending
beyond a period of five years. The consent of the Government is
required for contracting a loan not redeemable within two years, and also
in certain other instances.
1 Parishes as well as lay communities. —- * Including Hygiene. — ® Communal
grants to State Colleges inclusive. — 4 Streets and public places, communications etc.; see
Table 42. — 4 See Table 42. — 6 A krona = 110 shilling = 0’268 dollar.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
