Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-09-08
NORWAY.

NORWAY.
After two years of controversy the
storthing has finally passed law for
avoiding labor conflict. A year ago
the storthing was ready to make arbi-
tration compulsory. but the social
democratic labor unions threatened to
start a national strike, and the mat
ter was dropped for the time being
Now the storthing went half way and
made negotiations compulsory. The
law also provides that strikes or lock-
cut contrary to formal agreements
shall be fined from $1.35 to $3.50.
The government and many members
of the storthing wanted to except indi-
vidual laborers from this provision.
but they were finally beaten, so that
individuals. as well as labor unions
and employers, will be liable to fines
In case of strikes or lockouts con-
trary to contracts that are in force.
1t is expected that the new law will be
a great help. Meanwhile the govern
ment has not given up its plan to
have the storthing pass law making
arbitration compulsory.
The city or Sarpsborg keeps a his
toric gem which is sadly ignored,
says the Sarpen. When the city was
started in the year 1916, King Saint
Olav at the same time built church
to Virgin Mary. The stone founda-
ton of this church may still be seen.
Besides the city wall, this is the only
relic from the earliest period Of the
city. Now 1t is expected that the relic
will be excavated and preserved in
worth manner. The Borregsard
company. which owns the ground. Is
very favorably disposed with regard
to the plan OF saving the ruins. 1t is
not certain that St. Olav built any
church besides the Virgin Mary church
at Ssrpsborg.
A young girl who was walking
among the graves OF the Grue ceme-
terry one evening heard humping
sound in a grave where a man had
been buried the day before. Natur-
ally the girl was much frightened and
told others what she had heard The
next morning the sheriff went to the
place He, too, heard a sound, and he
Immediately ordered the grave to be
excavated. The body of the dead man
was cold and rigid. and the sound
surely did not come from him. But
the cover of the coffin had been
/ pressed down at enc ccrneE. and this
was supposed to have caused the
weird sound.
Last year a human dwelling from
the stone age was found at Nord-
aasvand, near Bergen. Parties repre-
senting the Bergen museum have been
making investigations at the place,
and they have made a similar find,
which has not been disturbed at later
dates. Both places will be thoroughly
excavated.
The Misses Jeanette and Kristiane
| Thaulow of Christiania, have donated
$4,000 to the government for pur.
chasing flying macbines for the army.
The number of men patronizing the
Norwegian seamen's homes in for
eign seaports in 1914 was SOFA. The
homes in Hamburg and Antwerp have
not been used since the beginning of
the war. No report has been received
from the home at Marseilles.
German submarine stopped the
Norwegian mail steamer Irma within
Norwegian territorial waters, but the
timely appearance of a Norwegian
torpedo boat on the scene prevented
further interference with the mail
ship.
The hating OF the Norwegian mail
steamer Haakon VII and the seizure
of mails on board by German sub
marine have been followed by pro-
test to Berlin and a demand for the
return of the malls to Norway. The
Haakon VII was bound from Bergen
to England.
The Rjukan saltpeter company will
build a number of three-story fats to
be rented out to the laborers. There
will be about forty suites of rooms,
and the company expects to apend
about $4,000 on the buildings.