ABOUT SWEDEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 January 1930, Page 2

ABOUT SWEDEN

PERPLEXING CUSTOMS. J An interesting arrangement carried out by the Swedish Red Cross Society was mentioned to a “Post” reporter at Wellington recently by Mr Bertil Palmertz, of the literary staff of the “Dagems Myheter,” Stockholm, who is travelling the world to gain a knowledge of other countries besides his own. Although Sweden suffered severely during the war, when the activities of her merchant fleet were so curtailed, she established herself again very quickly after the Armistice, and one year after the war was able to help the Germans through the Red Cross. Farmers (who in many cases had done exceptionally well during the war, getting up to 30s a pound for butter) took German children to their homes as guests and “fed them up,” about 1000 children going to Sweden in this fashion during the first summer after the war. The Red Cross, which is a very strong organisation in Sweden, also arranged with the educational authorities for exchanges between German and Swedish children, a great benefit educationally as well as internationally. The same system is now to be extended, so that English children may make similar exchanges if they wish,. In each case homes similar to their own are chosen for the scholars in Sweden.

As far as education in Sweden was concerned, Mr Palmertz said that, after leaving the State schools, children whose parents were well off were sent to colleges, and those who could not pay college fees went to grammar schools. No free books were provided, but the fees for tuition at a grammar school were about £4 a year, and those at the college about £8 or £lO, none of these sums including board. There was not a. system of free education as we had. it in New Zealand, but scholarships could be won by those who deserved them, and who would not otherwise be able to continue their work because of financial restrictions. Swedish girls were exceptionally well educated, particularly in domestic arts, and even after they have left the university will take courses in such things as weaving, so that they may be well fitted to conduct a home shoiild they marry. Because of the cold winter there is little variety in vegetables during that season, so the Swedish housewife specialises in preserving, her pantry being very generously supplied in this respect.

CUSTOMS TO REMEMBER. A custom which visitors to Sweden find a little puzzling is that called “smurgusburd. ” Arriving for a party, perhaps at a country farm, the guest would find that the housewife, who has been preparing for the event lor many weeks, had arranged the centre of the meal table with as many as thirty-two small dishes of great variety—meat rolls, caviare, sausages hot and cold, and many other delicacies. The visitor is given a plate, and is expected to take and eat small helpings of as many dishes as he can. After everyone has completed this “appetiser,” the dinner really begins, and follows through the usual courses to coffee and Swedish punch, a kind of sweet liqueur. “I have seen foreigners, not knowing the custom, make a meal of the “smurgusburd’ and then been quite unable to cope with the dinner which follows,” said Mr Palmertz. Sweden, he continued, was very up-to-date in the matter of catering for tourists, who were coming in increasing numbers, the guides provided speaking German, French, and English. There were efficient tourist and railway bureaux and others whose functions would seem a little strange to New Zealanders. Possibly a business man might speak the language of the country but not so his wife, who would be unpleasantly “out” of any gatherings where the conversation was carried on in Swedish. So that she might not be left at home in boredom by herself, her husband would approach one of the bureaux mentioned, present his credentials, and in return receive the references of one of the well-educated men on the staff who could speak his wife’s language, and who would then entertain her during the few hours of her husband’s absence, accompanying her to the theatre, to dance, or whatever form of entertainment she chose. Anyone in a similar position—perhaps a Swede who had married an English girl—could approach the bureaux, which were very correctly conducted without any “fake” about them.

Farming life in Sweden is not as simple as in New Zealand and Australia, said Air Palmertz. Accommodation. is a very big factor in buying a farm, because all animals have to be kept inside in large barns during the winter, when the temperature is some times 26 degrees below zero. The wheat, too. is taken inside and crushed during the winter months, and turnips and other root crops finish the ripening process indoors. About 800 acres is the

size of an average farm in. Sweden, but there are quite a number of two or three thousand acres. A farm labourer gets about £2 to £2 10s a month in wages, and about £5 a month is paid to the cowmen, who are generally married, their wives and daughters helping with the milking. They are mostly given a house on the estate, and also an allowance of potatoes, wheat, etc. Farmers who own forests cannot cut into them without the permisison of forestry experts, who come in summer and mark the trees for cutting in winter.