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Show Washington M I and SMALL; Jb3 BUSINESS jpgi Want Utooia! I We've all heard from time to time about how Sweden was becoming: be-coming: the workers "Paradise" how Socialism finally was put into practice, how no one was out of work, how everyone was taken care of. "Paradise"? . Better to say "Pair o' dice" that came up snake eyes! Income taxes at the world's highest rates take 43 to 65 per cent of income. And a comment from one civil servant summed up what is called the "festering "fester-ing wound" in the country: "We simply cannot afford to live in Paradise any longer. The idea is nice, but the reality Is too costly." The reality is also very grim, with 150 strikes in the past 15 months. Professional people are leaving at an increasing rate doctors, dentists, scientists. Large firms are moving out of ! the country. In 1968, 30 per cent of all firms had showed no profit at all and in the same year, 528 firms hiring 22,700 people went out of business due to high capital taxes to finance the "Paradise." Direct and indirect taxes take 43.6 per cent of Swedish gross national product, compared to 27.3 per cent in this country. A murderous, 38-day strike by 47.000 civil servants, seeking a 23 per cent wage boost, was stopped only by the Swedish Government passing a law making mak-ing it illegal. And if you wonder won-der who the "civil servants" are, consider the Swedish Govern- National Federation of Independent Bualnem ment controls 43 per cent of iron ore mining, 95 per cent of the rails, 45 per cent of gas and electricity, 20 per cent of the forests. When these "civil servants" strike, the country is crippled. The radical leftist group in power also seeks complete wage leveling. The goal is nothing less than having all workers get the identical amount of pay no matter what they do. And the professionals and sub-professionals aren't buying it, not for a moment. A turret-lathe turret-lathe operator, receiving the same pay as a floor-sweeper, stated it quite bluntly: "Equality "Equal-ity is nonsense." A spokesman for the striking Central Organization of Civil Servants expanded a bit on this: "They're leveling us down, while they are leveling blue collars upward. Result is, none of us can afford the cost of the welfare benefits." Well, let's take this lesson to heart. It has often been said that no country can spend itself it-self into prosperity, that no country can possibly do everything every-thing for everyone. We have in front of our eyes the spectacle of one that is trying, and is running full tilt into total economic ec-onomic and social chaos as a result. Let's hope we profit by Sweden's example. And remember, Sweden was neutral in two world wars, and thus not only did not incur war debts, but in addition profited by selling to both sides. |
