Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-10-23
n WATERP0WERs in NORWAY Z
Principal Falls Are Being Harnessed
and New Factories are Spring
Ing Up Thru0ut the Country.

(Ludvig S. Dale, in the Sunday st
Paul Pioneer-Press Dispatch.)
Norway has entered the sign o1
"big industry" Everywhere you will
find feverish activity; new waterfall:
being harnessed, new factories built
For centuries Bjornson's Gland Of
the Future" had been asleep indus.
trially. From hundreds of grea
waterfalls water representing mill
ions Of horse power has been poured
out into the sea, ever since the be.
ginning Of time, until twenty, or eve,
fifteen years ago, no one thought
much about it.. Then all at once
came a few men Of vision. They saw
this power transformed into electric
ity, turning the wheels of saw mills
textile mills, iron works, saltpete,
factories. But as usual these pro.
phets found but scant hearing amone
the men Of wealth to begin with
Norway was too small, too unim-
portant. No industries would CONF
all the way to the "Land Of the Mid.
night Sum-" You might as we'll &c
out and pour money over the water.
falls.
, But the prophets did not cease
preaching the gospel of industrial re-
vival. The giant must awake. And
at last they succeeded in interesting
few men, youngsters they were
both in years and in experience, and
they were so regarded by the "sane
conservative" business men. These
few young men realized that the first
thing necessary would be to acquire
power, so they set out to buy water
and river rights. If they had been
out to buy counterfeit dollars at $50
per they could not have found more
ready market. The mountain farm
ers tumbled over each other to get a
chance to sell waterfalls worth thou
sands Of dollars for a song. The
writer knows Of one particular in
stance in his home community
where a fall worth at least $4,000
was sold for $25, and at that the far
mers almost felt ashamed to take
the money. This statement may
seem ridiculous, but it is true.
CEASE SELLING POWER RIGHTS
Then all Of a sudden change took
place. No one was able to tell just
what happened or just when it hap
pened. One thing is certain. After
the farmers had been giving away
fortunes for ten years or more they
put on the brakes. The government
had been investigating the problem
and had reported that the opportun-
tiles for industries we're unlimited
and that no doubt in time great mills
and factories would be attracted tc
Norway. This proved the entrance
Of the proposition into politics, and
through the discussion which ensued
the small farmer suddenly came te
realize that instead Of selling coun-
(terfeits he had been giving away golG
mines. The reaction was swift anc
certain. Today every bit of waite,
and river right is carefully surveyed
and the owners have a pretty gooc
idea of what they want for it, A
good many "kommunes" or town.
ships have purchased rights which
they hold for the township. and they
"concede" or transfer for a proper
consideration the rights to any man.
ufacturer who may want power. A
part Of the money derived from the
concession goes to the state, but the
township retains the lions share.
The concession policies have caus.
ed good deal of strife in Norwegian
politics, the Right or Conservative
party favoring a more liberal polio,
towards prospective buyers of pow.
er, the Left or Liberal party insist.
ing upon a more strict governmental
supervision and control, with thu
very best of terms for the owners
of the rights. This question is ONT
of the chief problems of the pres.
ent election which takes place tomor
row.
But as this article is concerned
with what has been actually accom-
lplished towards developing the wat
er power Of Norway, we shall leav'
the political aspect for a later ar
ticle.
Among the great power station.
which. have been established during
the last few years must be mentioned
those at Tysse, Bilefos, Odda, YAM
mafos, Lienfos, Svalgfos and Rjuk
anfos, the last one unquestionabl.
the greatest. These power station!
are designed to take care Of tn
electro technical industry (the man
ufacture of saltpeter being the mos
importantly, and they must therefor
be differentiated from those stations
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