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74 (i
v. social movements.
vard) and matters therewith connected. A large share of social work also
devolved from ancient times on the local State authorities, that is, the
governors of the läns, and on the Church. However, in recent times,
particularly owing to the increasing gravity of labour problems, it
became more and more imperative for the State, by dint of legislation, the
extension of financial aid, and other measures, to embrace various social
matters within its sweep. The central administration of the State’s social
policy has hitherto fallen mainly within the purview of the
Civildepartementet, the Home Office, although important social duties have also
devolved on other departments.
However, as the central administration has long been in lack of a trained
working staff for this special purpose, the investigation of important new
problems in this sphere has fallen mainly on committees. There was, for
instance, the Workmen’s Insurance Committee of 1884, that of 1891, the
Protection of Workers Committee of 1905, the Poor Relief Legislation, the Old
Age Insurance, the Temperance, the Dwellings committees, etc., many of which
are now at work.
The constant need of investigations in social matters caused a series of
official and statistical enquiries into labour questions to be set on foot during the
years from 1897 to 1902, and occasioned the foundation in 1903 of a Bureau
of Labour Statistics in the Board of Trade (existing 1903—12, until the Social
Board, see below, was established). This Bureau was in the course of time
entrusted with a number of administrative duties, and in consideration of the
new onera laid upon it, had its scope considerably enlarged.
Socialstyrelsen. In 1912 the Government proposed the establishment
of a central office for social questions. The Government proposal was
passed by the Riksdag, and at the beginning of 1913 the new office, which
was entitled Socialstyrelsen or the Social Board, started into operation.
The Board was made subordinate to the Civildepartementet, the Home
Office, which consequently had thrust upon it a great deal of additional
business in the social line.
It devolves on the Social Board, to deal with mutters of a social nature.
The following enumeration will give a notion of the kind of duties which fall
within its purview. The labour market (situation thereof, labour exchange,
wages, unemployment, foreign labour in Sweden); relation between employers
and employed (labour contracts, collective agreements, labour disputes, conciliation
and arbitration), protection of workers (security against accidents, employment of
children and women, hours of rest, length and distribution of hours of labour,
home industries); providential benefits (sick-benefit and friendly societies, and
other forms of social insurance); other questions of an essentially social nature
(temperance work, different kinds of unions, dwellings, costs of living, emigration,
and supervision of emigrants agents). The Board is the chief authority for the
inspection of trades (see: Legislation for the Protection of Workers), and the
supervisory authority of the sick-benefit system (see the corresponding Section);
moreover it supervises the labour exchanges (see the corresponding Section) and
the State conciliators in labour disputes (see the corresponding Section). Further,
the Board is the supervisory authority of pension societies (see: Pension Funds).
Moreover it devolves on the Board to make statistical and other investigations
with regard to labour conditions, etc., draw up reports on labour conditions
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