Morris tribune., 1909-12-10
NORWAY.

UNIV
Charles B. Cheney, who is writing a
series of articles for the Minneapolis
Journal on affairs in Sweden and Nor.
way, gives the following resume of the
recent election in Norway: "The cleo
ton has been full of surprises. The
one emphatic. note in the result is re-
action. The vote is mandate from
the people calling for a halt in radical
legislation and rebuking socialist agi-
tation. The growth of manufacturing
centers in Norway has made new
nursing grounds for socialism, and it
was fully expected that the socialists
fifteen or twenty at this election. In
stead, they have only nine up to date,
with a probability of winning two 9TH
ers. One factor in the reaction has
been the alliance of the "venstre'
leaders with socialists in many dis
tricts. In Norway, as in France, the
first poll is not decisive unless one
candidate obtains a majority over all.
So less than half the seats were filled
by the general election, Oct. II, and
second votes are being taken to de-
eide between the highest candidates.
Indistricts where the issue is between
a conservative and socialist the
radical leaders have been openly
throwing their influence for the social
list. This has given new color to ths
charge that the ministry is socialistic.
One of the floor leaders of the radical
party, Konnow of Hedenmarken, has
rebelled and has made an independent
declaration urging radicals to support
conservatives in preference to social
list candidates. This situation, coupled
with the certainty that the right
probably will control the next Storth-
ing, will probably result in the still
further gains for reaction in the last
elections, but few seats more or less
will make little difference now. The
Knudsen ministry, appears to be on it's
last legs and January will see change
of government in the kingdom of Nor
way
During the recent election in Nor.
way it is shown that women very gen.
orally exercised their right of suffrage
In Christiania the total vote was
iswelled from 41,OoO in 1906 to $4,000
in 1909. 1t is, therefore, practically
certain that at least one woman will
occupy a seat in the Storthing. The
three women candidates for Storthing
seats were all defeated, but Miss Anna
Rogstad, a teacher in the public
schools in Christiania, was elected as
alternate to J. K. M. Bratlie, a con-
sentative, general Bratlie, as he is
commonly known, will undoubtedly be
given place in the new ministry. He
will thus have to vacate his seat in
the Storthing and Miss Rogstad will
enjoy the honor of being the first Nor
wegian woman to have place in the
parliament Of the nation. She is said
to be a woman of much force and
character, and already is member Of
the city council in Christiania
Mrs. Hjort's home for the feeble
minded at Christiana, recently re-.
ceived a donation of / 1000 crowns from
the estate of the late Caroline Bauer,
a benevolent women, who is very
wealthy. She has on previous occa-
sions donated large sums of money to
Christiania institutions of charity
The Lutheran university of Christi
ania, Norway, will celebrate it's cen
tenary in 1911. King Haakon has Civ
en- 10000 crowns toward the erection
of large hall for the exercises, and
Norwegians in this country promise to
raise $4,000 crowns additional.