The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-06-23

The Norwegian people boast that
they have one of the most democratic
forms of government i'm the world.
The storthing is in close touch with
everyday affairs, and there can be no
strong expression OF public sentiment
that is not at once reflected there. All
men and women over % years of age
who have been at least five years in
the country. provided they are not
paupers. banllrupts or ex-convicts, are
allowed To vote and women as well as
men are eligible for the storthing
when an election takes places the
Norwegian electors must choose, in
advance To the direct member. a vice
deputy member To take his place
should the representative be at any
time unGvoidably absent from the
storthing. For each seat contested,
each party may put forward one can
didate. The voting. both for member
and deputy member. takes place ON
the same day. and, although IL seldom
happens. il is possible for conserv-
liberal member and vice versa.
Members of the storthing are paid
at the rate of 5000 kroner $500 per
year for ordinary sittings, but If called
upon to attend for any extra period an
additional payment is made of
II kroner day. In addition To the
cash payment there are also special
| f,.., Il "A
nurse i'm case of illness and free tray
cling on the state railways. The de-
| mands made upon storthinSsmand
are heavy. Each member must attend
sittings regularly and vote upon every
question. He is not allowed To absent
himself unless he. can give an ade-
, quate reason oF7unless he has first OBJ
tanned the permission of the storthing
If he is unavoidably absent, then his
deputy must be present. The deputy
has no direct payment for his serv-
ices, but receives a share of the mem
ber's salary at the end of the year
the amount depending upon the num-
Der of sittings he has attended.
At the opening of parliament after
an election has taken place the house
resolves itself into two parties, the
lagthing and the odelsthing, cores
ponding To an upper and lower cham
Der. There is no actual upper house
The lagthing consists of one-fourtl
| of the members nominated and elect
ed in full storthing. There is no ruiz
governing the number each party ma.
elect, but generally there is an equa
percentage elected from all parties
When the lagthing has been elected
the remaining three-fourths form tn
odelsthng.
All bills are first presented to tn
odelsthing for discussion. A bare ma
jority only is needed To pass ordinar,
measures, but measures seeking t
Deal with the constitution must haN
two-thirds ma ority, and no meas
ure can pass the odelsthing unles
two thirds of the members are presen
and vote upon it, After being passe
by the odelsthng measures are sen
up to the lagthing, and, if passed there
they then become law after havin
been sanctioned by the king. If re
: jected by the lagthing they are return
ed to the odelsthing, again discussed
t and either shelved or returned
| amended or in their original form.
the lagthing rejects n measure sec
r ond time il comes before the full stort
| thing, and is then accepted as law
passed by q two thirds majority Tn
ling has tho mower to veto any meas
/. ure. but if three successive storthins
4 lare against him his veto is automati
L cally removed.
4 Local government in Norway
largely administered by town counclI
D and rural district councils, but !
|, addition, a rural district usually con
/ ssts of several parishes. each of whic
$ has it's own parish council, and the dis
1 tricts in each county form q unit {
/