File No. 4359.
Minister Graves to the Secretary of State.
Stockholm , January 16, 1907 .
Sir: I have the honor to report that the Swedish Riksdag was to-day opened by the Crown Prince Regent with a speech from the throne, the King still being confined to his rooms.
His Royal Highness first called attention to the royal proposition to the Riksdag which is intended to extend franchise rights to citizens of humbler estate, and emphasized the importance of the acceptance of this law proposition, which has been placed before the Riksdag in one for or another at every session for several years past.
Among the important propositions in civil legislation the following were mentioned:
Proposition for new law in regard to the leasing of real estate. (Specially important for the city of Stockholm, where the rights of tenants are very meagerly protected by present law.)
Proposition for appropriation of larger funds for salaries of government officials of all classes, owing to the enormous increase in living expenses in Sweden, “an unavoidable consequence of general development,” as well as for appropriation of funds sufficient to enable a proper pensioning of civil-service officers.
Proposition for reorganization of the telegraph and railway boards.
Proposition for building of an inland railway traversing the western part of Sweden from south to north— “of great importance for the development and defense of the country.”
Proposition for instituting “free harbors” and bonded storehouses.
Proposition for instituting special waterfall commission for putting government waterfalls to practical use and for making extensive hydrographic surveys of lakes and water courses.
Proposition for promoting agricultural interests; f. i., “homestead loans.”
Proposition for revising the income tax.
Propositions for large increase of the budget, which will not, however, entail new or increased taxes, as the income of the Kingdom has lately been greatly augmented.
[Page 1022]Furthermore, His Royal Highness called attention to the long-felt need of a better naval station near Stockholm, and said that a proposition would be presented to the Riksdag for establishing such a station on the island of Lidingö, near Stockholm.
I have, etc.,