Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/143

 NOTES AND ABSTRACTS.

Effects of Lumber Industry upon Agriculture in Sweden. In treating the much-discussed effect of the modern timber industry upon agriculture in Sweden, A. G. Hogbom draws an interesting comparison between two of the districts of Norrland. These districts, Lofanger and Nordsjo-Jorn, are extremes, inasmuch as the former is devoted almost entirely to agriculture, while the latter is a stronghold of the timber industry.

In the former there has been a rise of wages, owing to the attraction of the wood industry in inducing a movement of labor ; this is made much of by the agriculturists. Nevertheless figures show a decided increase in the productiveness of agriculture since the introduction of the new industry (about 1870). Cultivated ground has extended from 1,500 to 4,300 hectares, live stock has doubled, and grain production has greatly increased. Considering the fact that more rational methods of cultivation have been introduced, it is likely that income from agriculture has doubled. Only the fertile southern province of Malmohus ranks this northern district in productiveness.

Referring to figures for population, a remarkable result is found ; population has increased only I per cent., while agricultural returns have doubled. This appears to denote a large augmentation of needs and a rise of the standard of living within the last decades. The present scarcity of labor is to be regarded as a temporary phe- nomenon.

Comparing now the forest regions of Nordsjo-Jorn (two neighboring districts taken together for the sake of attaining more representative results), the percentage of gain in cultivated ground, harvests, and stock does not differ much from that seen in Lofanger, except that the timber industry has greatly increased the demand for horses in the former district. Population has exhibited a much larger growth.

The author, basing his judgment upon personal observation, regards the manner of living and the needs of life as having been substantially alike in the two regions compared, and thinks that the augmented agricultural returns, in one case as in the other, went to satisfy raised standards of living. Under such conditions the ener- getic growth of population in Nordsjo-Jorn during the last decades must have been due to the hasty development of the timber industry.

This growth, also, the writer regards as merely temporary, and believes the con- trasts of population will gradually disappear. He takes this case of extremes and eliminates less important factors in the hope of throwing some light upon the general and more complicated problem. Ekonomisk Tidskrift, Haft 1, 1900. Condensed by A. G. KELLER.

The Social Question in the Nineteenth Century. All epochs have had social agitations, but not until the nineteenth century have these appeared to be the essence of history. Changes in the industrial mechanism, as well as the participation of the popular classes in politics, are partly, but not wholly, responsible for this fact. The further responsibility is to be attributed to the French Revolution with its two erroneous principles : (i) the secularization of society, and (2) individualism. As a result of this revolution there was established a new order of things founded on the independence of man in his relationship to God, on the absolute predominance of individual interest, and on man's almost unlimited liberty with his equals.

The formation of associations, fraternities, and trade unions for the sake of counteracting the individualistic spirit propagated by the Revolution is one of the most significant facts of the later nineteenth century. This professional syndicate movement was strong enough and general enough to force parliament to abrogate in 1884 the law of 1791 prohibiting professional unions. No graver disavowal of the work of the Revolution could have been made.

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