The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-02-13

emperor by the Pope and held many
territorial possessions including Ire.
land, by vassal King
The writer would, also, inquire.
why, when they were making change
that they did not make Norway a re
public when they would answer that
they did not believe in the frequent
presidential elections and that the
consequent tearing up of things every
few years would be disastrous to a
poor, ebt-burdened country like Nor
way; that they desire To work ont
their own destiny in peace and do not
wish too many statesmen and dema-
godism developed, which frequent
elections would be certain to breed: be
sides they expressed themselves not
entirely convinced that as chief ex-
ecutive. an impartial King. always
bound to follow the wishes of the ma
jority, was not preferably to party
president anyway, as long as they the
Norwegian people, as electors. really
held the power just as much as in a
republic.
Queen Maud is also quite popular
and so, of course, is the little four
year-old prince Olaf The picture of
the royal group seems exhibited for
sale everywhere one goes. in stores,
hotels and cafes and is, also. said to
adorn the walls of most homes.
In commerce, the balance of trade
is always against Norway, in other
words, they generally buy one hum
dred million kroner more than they
sell every year: which would natural
ly mean that they would go busted"
entirely. but the earnings from the
shipping business more than offsets
this balance. Norway has namely: A
merchant of 1857 ships aggregating
one and half million in tonnage, so
the country seems prosperous though
in country where wages are low and
chances to save are meagre and
where the young emigrate and leave
the old behind, and the sea each year
claims many lives and makes many
widows and orphan children, there is
yet an undesirable percentage of pau
perism or dependents for public sup
port .l..
The number of persons who receiv-
ed relief last year numbered 10000
which was provided mostly by local
taxation .....
This system is now. however, going
to be changed and general compul-
sorry national life insurance scheme
put in vogue, to entirely wipe out the
poor-house proposition and remove the
humiliating stigma attached to the re-
ceiving of public support when any
one is unfortunate enough to be SO
situated, as to require public relief.
The scheme has been thought of
and worked upon for years and dur
ing this period. all public surpluses
from taxes and the profits from the
liquor dispensaries are husbanded and
set aside for an endowment fund now
said to amount to GO millions and
when this fund has reached 100 mil
lions i'm the national treasury, the
scheme is to be launched so as to
protect every man, woman and child
ability to work either from accident
or old age in an ample manner by
monthly payments direct to the indi-
vidual. The entire profit from the
liquor traffic of the public dispensaries
including 90 cent month per cap
tia tax and the interest on the Zen
tire) one hundred millions endow-
ment, it seems will form the financial
basis for the new plan. Several mea-
sures governing the details of the
schemes have been in the (Storthing)
congress for some time and are about
worked out and virtually agreed upon
as above outlined This scheme
seems at first glance strongly social
istic, but in a small country like Nor
way where the government owns the
railroads telegraph telephone etc.
with a strong tendency to paternal
government. ii is not to be wondered
at. r. o. Richards.