The Ladysmith news and Ingram news. [volume] (Ladysmith, Wis.) 1905-1906, 1906-01-13
NoRWAY's RESOURCES.
Resume of United States Consular
Reports on the Subject.

NOrWay'S resources are interesting
ly recounted in the United States
governments report on the trade con-
ditions in foreign countries, compiled
from consular reports. Particular
mention has been made of the fishing
industry, the forests, agriculture and
mining, which are the principal indus
tries and manufacturing, in which
great strides are being made owing to
the abundance of cheap power from
the numerous streams and the devel-
opment of the natural resources.
Says the report:
Norway, just now attracting a great
deal of attention, is a remarkable
country. Fish in it's waters and wood
in it's forests make up a large part or
the national resources. With a long
line of curiously indented coasts,
whose waters are washed up to it by
the gulf stream, it holds and has long
held an important place in the world S
carrying trade. The people are hon
est and thrifty, hard and willing work
ers. On land or sea it is always the
same. Work seems to be their ele-
ment. If the country is happy, pros
porous and progressive, it is not be-
cause of any peculiar benefits bestoW-
ed by nature, unless it be the willing
ness of everybody to work.
Fishing is perhaps the most impor-
tant line of business pursued by the
people. The wide spaces of their own
seas, particularly the parts that lie
near the Loffoden islands, are full OF
cod, herring and mackerel. Salmon
abound in the rivers, of which the
country has abundance. The waters
of the wide world pay tribute to
Norway, for some of her whaling yes
sells go into the far North or to the
South, and some to Newfoundland and
into the seas north of Scotland.
In the forests Norway has innumer-
able frs, pines, hemlocks, oaks and
other useful trees from which wood
is cut for many parts of the world,
particularly for England and continen-
tai Europe. The forests are run sci
entifcally, the trees being cut only
when they are the best fitted for the
purposes for which they were planted.
Only expert woodsmen or foresters
are in the woods-men trained in good
schools, similar to those that have
made forestry both an art and SCI
ence in Germany. The woods cover
fully 20 per cent of the country and
are carefully cultivated on such parts
of the soil as would be practically I'M
fit for farming. Two million cubic
meters of weed are exported each
year Supplementing the forests are
the furniture, barrel stave, match and
pulp factories. Three thousand tons
of matches are sold every year and
millions of dollars worth of barrels,
slaves and pulp for paper making and
other purposes. AS much as 100000
to 100000 tons of pulp are exported
annually.
Farming is popular. The people love
their sterile soil They watch it, work
on it, nurse it into fertility, spreading
on it first seaweed and fish fertilizers.
The raising of cattle, the production OF
Sutter, cheese, condensed milk and
the raising of poultry are conducted
on artistic and scientific principles.
Mining is an important feature OF
Norway's industrial life. Iron, copper,
feIdspar, granite, etc, abound. In
1904 Norway exported 1860 tons OF
iron pyrites and 2,700 tons of copper.
Her iron is needed in Birmingham,
Sheffield, Solingen and all over the
world for the making of certain in
struments, implements and tools. She
exported q, 900 tons of feldspar in
1904. Much of this is used in the por-
celain factories of the outside world.
Granite and other building stones are
exported to England and continental
Europe. Over 10000 tons were taken
out in 1904
In manufacturing, Norway is begin
ming to stride forward. Her streams
are giving her cheap power. This is
leading to the establishment of all
kinds of plants for the making of cleo
trical appliances.
Such a country SO situated, so eager,
earnest, energetic, offers a fair field
for American enterprise. Its proxim-
ity to our shores, the nature OF its raw
materials, the prospects of the future
the progress and prosperity In the
past would seem to warrant efforts on
our part to find out just what the pros
poets are for us to sell hundreds OF
saws, wood-cutting and woodworking
machines. furniture machinery, etc.
It is only eight or ten days distant
from our shores, all the way by sea,
whereon transportation is cheap and
easy. A large and profitable recipro-
cal trade may easily be built up by
both countries going over the goods of
the other carefully.
Immense harbor improvements are
talked of by Gothenburg. 1t is pro-
posed to greatly increase the capacity
of the port, with new works on at His
singer, free port, large coal docks,
etc. The plans prepared by Prof.