Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1940, Síða 95

ECONOMIC FELLOWSHIP 89
community of ideals which has become still more manifest in
recent years than before.
True there is a considerable difference between the wage levels
of Sweden and Finland. This difference seems for a large part
to have originated in the latter half of the nineteenth century,
though there may have been some difference even previously. The
relative rise of the Swedish wage level was mainly due to the fact
referred to above that Sweden became industrialized at an earlier
time than Finland, which involved a more rapid growth in the
demand for labour. The growth of population was also rather
slower in Sweden and this contributed to strengthening the posi-
tion of labour. There was a large outflow of emigrants, while the
corresponding movement in Finland developed later and did not
attain the same size. The decline of births has also contributed to
raising the standard of life of the worker. The decline, however,
has not as yet gone quite as far in Finland as in Sweden, though
urban birth rates of the two countries are not very different.
When comparing wage levels in Finland and Sweden it must
not be forgotten that wages in Sweden as in Norway and Den-
mark count among the very highest in Europe. The Finnish wage
level is by no means a low one if compared with other countries.
The difference between Swedish and Finnish wages is, indeed,
very much less than the difference between Finnish wages and
those of Eastern Europe. In this respect as in others Finland is
closely connected with the other Northern countries and visitors
to Finland cannot fail to get a favourable impression of the
standard of life of the working class.
It was pointed out above that the economic and social ana-
logies between Finland and the other Northern countries have
become still greater in recent years than before. This was partly
due to a deliberate policy of “Northern orientation” adopted by
Finland in 1935, but the tendency had been in evidence previouslv
too, if to a less extent. In the main it dates back to the time when
Finland achieved political independence.
But even before that time there had been a very considerable,
if more or less unofficial interaction between Finland and the
other Northern countries. When Finland was brought under Rus-
sian dominion in 1809 she managed to attain a considerable
measure of autonomy. As regards economic and social policy Fin-
land retained the system which had been evolved during her long
connection with Sweden. The modifications of that system, which