Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Second part - XIII. Internal Communications - 3. Country Roads. By J. P. Velander, Ph. C., Stockholm
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998
XIII. INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS OF SWEDEN.
The towns must keep their roads in repair themselves and by their own
authorities superintend those who have to do the road-service (proprietaries,
contractors, or hired workmen). The keeping of village-roads depends on agreement
between those who use them, and disputes on that question, as a rale, are settled
at the courts of justice, on grounds of equity.
The condition of roads has been very greatly improved of låte and is in
general satisfactory, some districts excepted, however, especially in the northern
parts of the country.
On various highroads, of a total length of 37,954 km., regular
post-traveling is established, so that people are sure to get a horse and
carriage against a fare stipulated by law. The whole number of roadside
stations amounted at the end of 1895 to 1,518, the distance between them
being about 25 km. (151/» miles). On the average, a conveyance with
one horse costs about 16 ore per km. (3-4 d. pr mile), but the cost varies
considerably at different stations. An institution that since times far
back has been connected with post-traveling is that of country-inns.
In olden times, nearly every traveler drove his own horse and tried to get
night-lodgings with the clergymen or the peasants; with a hospitality, old aa the
hills, shelter was — with or without payment — willingly granted to the wayfarers.
But with the rising power of the gentry and the clergy, their claims on the
generosity of the peasantry also grew, and as early as in the 13th century, taking
by violence from the peasant what he did not give voluntarily — so-called forced
quarters — had become so common a custom that legislation had to interfere.
By an ordinance given at Alsnö about 1280, King Magnus Ladulås forbad to take
forced quarters, and it was enacted that in every village there should be an
in»-keeper or farm-steward, who against reasonable payment and on strict responsibility
was bound to provide wayfarers with their necessities. Among those who traveled
on State business it became more and more customary during the Kalmar Union
(1389/1523) to accept food and lodgings gratuitously, and King Gustavas Vast
(1523/60) sanctioned by law the transport for the crown, i. e. the duty of the
peasant8 without any payment to convey the royal family and members of the
court (king’s post), troops and military munitions (transport for the crown,
properly spoken), and prisoners (prison post). Restrictions in the duty of transport
for the crown were often proposed, but it was not until 1689 that payment was
stipulated for all kinds of transport for the crown, with the exception of prison
post, that continued to be effected gratuitously till 1734.
During all this time, the institution regarding country-inns had been the
object of several ordinances. In 1561, a tax was imposed for the establishing of
country-inns, where horses should be kept in readiness to be hired against a fixed
tax by those travelers who were not entitled to be conveyed by transport for the
crown. In 1584, it was enacted that the Constables should also be innkeepers;
a tax was set down for victuals, fodder, etc., and exemption from taxes on his
farm was granted to the innkeeper. In 1593, a stated fee was for the first time
prescribed for all wayfarers. During the 17th century, the erecting of
country-inns at distances of 2 Swedish miles (about 13 Eng. miles) at most from each
other was encouraged by granting several liberties and advantages to the owners,
e. g. assistance from the hundred in building the house, parcels of land out of
the commons, exempt from taxes; and the monopoly within a certain district of
selling beer, wine, and gin. (It needs scarcely to be said that this system has
long ago disappeared; concerning the present legislation as to sale of liqnors, see
under the heading Temperance Movement, p. 276).
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