Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Part I - Professor J. Vilhelm Hultkrantz, Uppsala and Doctor Emanuel Bergman, Uppsala, The Struggle for Race-improvement in Sweden
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prises have arranged the housing question for their workers in a excellent manner.
The larger towns have made great sacrifices to help forward the question of own
homes for the people. Even the State has granted means to facilitate the starting
of own homes and small holdings out in the country. Motions have also been
raised in Parliament respecting measures for keeping the youth of the country*
side on the land, although at present without any especial success. It is to be
hoped that this question can soon be taken up over the whole line, and be made
the object of a thorough investigation. The Swedish statisticians and sociologists
P. Fahlbeck, G. Sundberg and N. Wohlin have during many years, devoted both
time and strength to answering these questions. It is namely of the greatest im*
portance that our old peasant stock shall be preserved and that the nativity within
these circles, which can be considered as the eugenically more valuable, does not
diminish too fast on account of the State of affairs within the agricultural world
being altogether too low.
One cannot of course by means of peremptory language compel the best in=
dividuals to increased ptoduction of children, but one can lighten the way to par*
entage for them and reduce the burden of a large family of children. The vol*
untary restriction in the number of children, especially among the better situated
classes, has unfortunately with us, as in other places, become more and more
common. Thus while the frequency of marriage has increased a little during the
last few years (6.9 %o 1919), the frequency of birth has steadily declined (19.6 %o
in 1919 and 25.6 °/oo in 1909). The increase in the population is small (5.7 %o
in 1919). A law was passed in 1911 against preventive means, but it has
not acted in the manner contemplated and up till now it has not been pos*
sible in any other way either to amend the evil. The best way without doubt is
to try to lighten the economical troubles of the breadwinners. The State ought
to support their endeavours to win a home of their own, which is of all the more
importance as families having a large number of children often have a great diffi*
culty in renting a flat or any other place. During hundreds of years we have
enjoyed the great advantage of free education or of its costing only a small fee,
which has been a considerable relief for the fathers of families. It has also been
of great importance for the circulation of the classes, which has existed in our
country since the olden times, and thanks to which children from the peasant
and middle classes through their personal ability can work their way upwards to
the highest honours the State has to give. During these last years by means of
supplemental wages and reduction of the rates and taxes for family*fathers an
attempt has been made to improve their financial position. The advantages the
breadwinners have gained in this way, have however up to the present been so
slight, that any real effect can hardly be expected. One is going quite certainly
to proceed further upon the way marked out. In the meantime it is of impor*
tance that such advantages should be reserved for indivuals who are satisfactory
from the race*biological point of view, and who can be expected to leave a good
posterity, and that it should not be dealt out with too niggard a hånd.
The fight against the so*called race=poisons, above all against alcohol and
syphilis, are carried on intensively. It is perhaps of more importance for the pri*
vate individual and his surroundings, but has also, at least indirectly, some im*
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