The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-17
Hassing-J g-J0rgensen, When a
Boy, LabOred for SIS
Per Month
ARE OPPOSED TO
WEARING UNIFORMS
undeveloped Waterpower of Iceland
Is Receiving Attention of Foreign
Capital-Danish Antiquities
Sought by Americans

Copenhagen, August 1.-THE member
| ship of the New Danish cabinet presents
some striking personalities. Among the
| ministers are several men who have
won their present high positions through
sheer determination, hard work and
merit. A notable case is the minister of
public works, Hassing- -Jorgensen. who In
| the days OF his youth labored for the
very modest stipend of $500 a month. 81
| Before he was sixteen years old, Mr..
| acknowledgements had developed the
habit of thrift, His income was greater
than his outlay, for at that time he had
some $500 on the credit side of his.
ledger. He made application for the po-
sition of assistant teacher in the village
of Loenberg, in Jutland. But when he
was told the pay was $50 for the term of
six months, he decided to decline the op-
portunity for the reason that it would
| not permit of his saving s12 every half
year, a compact he had made with him
| self.
A local farmer, however, who had met
young Hassng-Jorgensen and liked him,
| came to the rescue. He offered to board
and lodge the teacher for six months
| for S15, saying that by limiting his spend
| Ing money to fifty cents a month, he
| could still save his sl2 There was no
gainsaying tine truth of this statement
of frugaity, and Hassing-Jorgensen ac-
| cepted. Thus were his early habits of
| thrift made lasting.
| The present minister prospered. He
| rose step by step until his determination
| and energy led him to the presidency of
| a bank, from which position he stepped
| into the cabinet.
| Three weeks ago the minister met the
| farmer who had boarded him as a school
teacher The mans name is Jeppe Sok-
jaer In talking over the old days the
story OF Hassing-Jorgensen's first en-
ployment under the state got out, and it
has since been rected with relish and ap-
proval by the admirers OF the minister of
public works
Democratic Cabinet Ministers
| The new Danish ministry which went
into office last June, is radical, with GER
| tain we'll deemed leanings toward social
| ism The members are so democratic that
| they have asked the King to be excused
from the necessity of wearing the GUS
| tomary ministerial uniforms on official
occasions. His majesty has consented,
and although he will wear his own uni
| form in the cabinet councils hereafter
| An exception. however, had to be made
| in the case of the minister of foreign af-
| fairs When meeting foreign soyerelgns
| he will make a concession and appear in
uniform.
As a further evidence of their democra-
ey the new ministers have disavowed all
rank and formal distinctions. They are
to be addressed not as your excellency,"
but as Mr.. Minister"
To DeyelOp Iceland Resources
| The undeveloped water power of Iceland
| is receiving the attention of foreign cap
ital. The Delhi Fails, 80 miles from the
coast, have been acquired by an English
concern which is engaged in the manu-
fracture of nitrogen products, and with
10000 horse power at its command, the
company will move all its factories from
Peru and Chile to Iceland.
| Big factories are to be built in the vi
cinity of the falls, and a railroad con-
structed to the coast. The ownership of
the falls was purchased from four local
! farmers each of which will receive $15,-
900 for his interest
| Seek Danish Antiquities
| American gold is being offered in Dem
mark in exchange for Danish antiquities
| The temptation to sell is often irresist-
| able, but the removal of articles of his
toric interest from the country is being
frowned on by the Danish authorities.
4
by bringing the national museums into the
market as purchasers.
The old Northern museum in Copen-
hagen houses the best collection of an
tiqrities in the country, but nevertheless
a number of very nfe pieces. and even
complete collections. are to be found in
private families. A Danish American has
lately been in Denmark making extensive
purchases. He Is believed to be collecting
for museums in New York and Chicago,
| as well as for private individuals He is
offereing prices so attractive that the
owner of one very valuable collection has
said he could not afford to refuse the
p, offer.
The director of the Northern museum.
Dr. Muller. has sounded a note of warn
Ing. He urges that historic antiquities be
retained in the country He suggests that
anyone receiving an offer of sale for ex-
| port communicate at once with the mu-
scum. intirnating that for the sake of
keeping the relics In Denmark the mu-
scum Will meet the prices offered by the
| foreigner.
Copenhagen has Just witnessed its reg
uiar yearly cattle show, undoubtedly one
of the biggest gatherings of stock ever
seen in Europe. Three national flags
flew over the enclosures, the emblems OF
denmark. Sweden and the United States.
The Swedish flag was flown out of cour-
tesy to neighbor: the American out of
| friendship.
The United States was a contributor to
| the show in that large amount of Amer
lean agricultural machinery was on ex-
hibltion. Denmark is generally conceded
to be the most advanced country, from
the standpoint of intelligent and progress
sive agriculture, in Europe, and it is in
teresting to note that the best Danish
farmers have high regard for American
| farming implements. The records of the
state show that the Importation of these
American manufactures increases every
year