waterfall at a small rental and for a long period of time, which contract
was only to come into force in case the Crown was awarded the proprietary
rights. In this manner the present proprietor would _be secured in the
right to use the water-power for a considerable time to come, even if the
finding of the court went against him. However, in actual practice these
“waterfall rights” have not hitherto been made use of, the reason apparently
being the novelty of the legal form, and the fact that lenders prefer
to take an ordinary mortgage on real property.
One way o f encouraging the conveyance of waterfalls with such rights
would be, obviously, that the State itself should step forward as a lender.
In fact, in the Riksdag of 1912 a bill was introduced to investigate the
question of the creation of a loan fund for users of State waterfalls with
waterfall rights, and the Riksdag passed the bill. In the fo llow in g year,
a supplementary bill was brought forward proposing that the investigation
thus called for might likewise be extended to a loan fund for the users
of waterfalls in private hands.
In conclusion, as a step in the waterfall policy- of the State, it may be
pointed out that the Crown has purchased several large waterfalls from
private persons and concerns, partly in order to hold them in reserve for
a future electrification of the State railways, partly in order to complete
its property in certain river areas. Among the latter purchases are to be
noted those in virtue of which the State has acquired practically sole
ownership of all the water-power in the River Gota alv between Lake
Vanern and the Sea.
But the State can and should encourage the utilization of water-power
even in other ways than those just indicated, namely by framing its legislation
in such a spirit that the least possible obstacles shall be encountered
and the greatest possible promptitude effected in the legal treatment
of questions relating to the construction of power works and dams. In
this respect much remains to be done.
True, Sweden posses a Water Act of such a recent date as the Royal
Ordinance “ concerning the landowner’s right to the water on his land”, of
December 30, 1880, supplemented by Royal Proclamation of October 20,
1899 “ concerning regulations to be observed by those desirous of acquiring
a license from the King to build on a Crown water-course (kungsadra1) ”.
But the regulations of that act do not by any means satisfy the legitimate
demands of the modern water-power industry. Not only is the legal and
administrative procedure far too cumbrous and slow and leaves too little
scope for expert knowledge, but the law actually place's obstacles in the
way of a rational utilization of water power, and in many cases renders
it impossible. In the last respect it is specially to be noted that the law
does not concede the right of expropriating ground for the actual power
1 The purpose and definition of the term “K.ungs&dra” (“Kings artery”) will he found in
the second section of paragraph 7 of the said Royal Proclamation. Cf. also the article on
Fishing.
station, and that it does not provide facilities for a water-power user to
effectuate the regulation of a lake or the damming up of water, supposing
damage thereby to be caused to a building, waterfall, or the like, belonging
to another, no matter how great the public benefit accuring from the
enterprise. On the other hand, by the Electric Installations Act of June
27, 1902, the water power industry has been tolerably well provided for,
with reference to the right to carry over another ground the electric power
lines often imperatively necessary for modern power works.
A revision of the Water Act was set on foot in 1906, when the Government
appointed a committee to draft proposals for new legislation
with regard to a landowner’s rights over the water in his ground. That
committee, jointly with another committee of same year appointed to draw
up proposals for amendments in the law relating to the drainage of ground,
brought forward on the December 17, 1910, a scheme for an amended
Water Act. This extensive scheme, which contains many new and remarkable
suggestions, is at present being considered by the authorities. Furthermore,
of late a scheme for a new floating law, as well as a new bill providing
for greater security with regard to agreements for delivery of electrical
energy, etc,, have been worked out. It is to be hoped that the Riksdag
will soon see its way to decide this very important question, and that the
new law will be framed in such a spirit that it will not impede, but facilitate
and encourage the speedy and scientific exploitation of Sweden’s
water power.
The formal stumbling-blocks once removed, there is no doubt whatever
that the people of Sweden will contrive, within a not too far distant future,
to turn to account the national wealth which lies in her magnificent supplies
of water-power, and which, utilized in the right way, should give her
an extremeley favourable position in the competition going on between
the nations.
1. ARTICLES OF FOOD AND CONSUMPTION.
This large group, which embraces about 1/4 of the industrial products
of Sweden reckoned according to value, may be subdivided — in accordance
with the nature of the raw materials employed, or with that of the products
in question — as given below, the figures being for the year 1912:
Factories Hands Value of production
Products from Grain and Root crops . . . . 1744 7 769 155 042 000 kronor
Dairy produce (Figures for 1910) . . . . . . 1 416 4155 95 454 000 >
Other Food-stuffs from the animal kingdom . 118 1911 49 204 000 >
Sugar, Chocolate, Tobacco, e t c . 292 16 007 165 094 000 >
Drinkables, e t c . ................................................ 1186 8 0i9 106 802 000 >
Total 4 756 37 861 571596 000 kronor