Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-09-16
in FAR NORTHLAND
important Events IN Sweden,
Norway and Denmark.
BRIEFS FROM OLD COUNTRY
interesting ksms From the Three
Great Kingdoms % the North Sc.
leeted for Scandinavians and
Their Descendants.
by MARTIN w. cplANp.
Norway.

BY MARTIN w. CDlANps
Norway.
Il Is reported from Stavanger that
the sardine industry has enjoyed
period OF unusual prosperity the past
year. but now the lack of tin threat.
ems to hamper the output OF the
canned product. The war has stimu-
lated the demand for canned fish prod
ucts and q record amount has been
laid down during the past year. The
supply of raw material has also been
abundant. and the result has been
food of prosperity for ell those con.
nected with the industry. Stavang-
or, In which the canning OF fish Ii
the principal industry. has especially
been benefited. The danger which
now threatens the canning industry
comes from the British refusal to al
low the expectation OF tin unless the
individual Gamers furnish q guaran-
tee that their product shall not ba sold
to Germany. Tin may. OF course, DO
imported from America, but the high
freight rates will materially increase
the cost. The British have further
more shown q disposition to interfere
| with the transportation Of olive oil
from the Mediterranean countries.
According to dispatch from Chris.
| tiania, a survey of the country by the
government food supplies commission
| has revealed the fact that consider
ably larger areas OF land have been
devoted to the raising OF food prod.
ucts this year than In any previous
year In no districts Is the area less
and In many places much additional
land has been taken into use. The
! percentage of increase is from 80 to
| 35 per cent In fall-sown crops and
from 8 to 10 per cent In spring-so
crops. This increased use OF the ag-
ricultural resources of the country IL
| believed to be due largely to the ap-
peal made to farmers the past year to
| utilize all available land to the ut
most, so as to place the country In q
better position against the possible
cutting of OF foreign importations. On
the basis of this survey the food sup
plies commission will be able to de-
termine approximately the amount OF
grains and other food products IL will
be necessary to import during the
coming year.
The newspapers of New York an
nounce that Mauritz Pyk, who is en-
ployed in the foreign department of
the National City bank of New York;
has gone to Christiania for the purpose
of establishing better financial connec-
tons in that and other Scandinavian
cities between American and Scandi.
navian business men. The Nordisk
Tidende, the Norwegian newspaper
published I'm New York, surmises that
the ultimate object of the trip may be
to establish branches of the National
City bank In the Scandinavian coun-
tries, similar to those established re-
Gently In South American countries.
It is reported that automobile own
ers in Norway have been greatly han
dicapped by the shortage OF rubber
tires since the beginning of the Euro
pean war. Several automobile routes
have been compelled to discontinue
service on account of their inability to
replace wornout tires, and many taxi
cabs I'm Christiania have had to cease
operation for similar reason. The
Royal Automobile club is now nego-
tiating with the belligerent powers
with the view Of securing permission
to import rubber tires under guaran-
ty that they will be used exclusively
in Norway.
The Bank OF Norway is in a strong.
err condition than ever before In its
history. It's gold reserve has been
increased "a per cent since the begin.
ming of the European war, being 1885,.
100000 crowns as compared with g..
900, 900 crowns in August, 1914 Dur
ing the past twelve months the for.
eign resources Of the bank available
for the payment Of purchases abroad
have increased from 90, 100. 900 crowns
to 137,100, 900 crowns
1t is said that when the war broke
out something like. 5000 foreigners
were resident in Norway. This num-
Der did not include Danes. Swedes and
observation-disclosures OF the 5000,
about 1000 were Germans and about
an equal number were Russian sub
jects. The British numbered about
800 or 400, and tina French. Austrians
and Italians about half hundred each.
|
Much has been written about the
water-power resources OF Norway
and the remarkable development OF
those resources In recent years It Is
now estimated by the best informed
authorities that when those resources