Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-09-13
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT HAP.
PENINGS IN FAR OFF
NORTHLAND.
ITEMS FROM THE OLD HOME
Resume of the Most Important Events
In Sweden, Norway and Denmark
OF Interest to the Scandinavians
In America.
NORWAY.

America. The great emigration of
Norwegians to the United States,
which during the last 90 years has
drained the country of young labor
ers and girls from the farms. has new
| er made itself felt so much as in the
| last two years while Norway has been
endeavoring to become more and more
self-supporting and more independent
of foreign imports. Although since
the outbreak of the war industries
have grown in all parts of the coun-
try, this is not enough. Farming must
be raised TO a higher standard and
more acreage devoted to the raising
of grain crops. The Norwegian gov
eminent is trying to assist the progress
of farming by granting cheap loans to
| farmers and providing them with mex
pensiye lands for cultivation. Al
though the number of farmers has in
creased recently, difficulties have arts
en- owing to the lack of farmhands.
many of whom still prefer to seek new
homes in America, although wages
for farmhands of both sexes are al
most as high in Norway as they are
in the United States and better than
anywhere else in Europe. The press
all over the country is devoting much
attention to this subject. The idea
of beginning a campaign in America
with the object Of making young Nor
wegians there acquainted with the
promising prospects in their own coun-
try is rapidly spreading. Another
scheme has been started by the big
industrial man who needs thousands
of men for his water power enterprises,
with view of inducing the various
Industries to appoint agents in Amer
lea to hire Norwegians there for en-
ployment in Norway and to assist
them to return TO their native land.
The most recent government census
shows that of the population of $500
600 some 10000 are returned Norwe-
gian Americans, LOO of whom were
born in the United States. The ma
jority of these people have taken up
farming on their own account, using
as their capital money they had saved
while working for others in America.
A new emigration law is under, con-
sideration which will provide for clos
er control of emigration agents and
steamship lines, and make 1t easier
for emigrants to return to Norway by
giving them dispensation from mill
tary service If they have been away
from Norway for a certain number Of
years at the same time facilitating
the restoration of their Norwegian cit
izenship.
A syndicate which was organized
last winter with capital of $780, 900,
is advertising for carpenters, bricklay
ers and mechanics in American news
papers, offering free transporter ton to
Norway and good wages. The job for
which the men are wanted is the con-
structlon of power station with a
capacity of 10000 horse power at
Hoyangfjord, Sogn. Only Norwegians
are wanted. When the plant is fin
ished 1t will produce about 5000 tons
of aluminium a year.
Rooms are so scarce at Notodden
that many people who are working
there have to live at the neighboring
Hitterdal. 1t is said that within a
short time the city has lost one nun
dred taxpayers who had to leave be
cause there were no rooms for rent.
The local government has finally ap-
pointed a committee of three to take
steps to have new buildings put up.
Some Norwegian fishermen are max
ing fabulous wages nowadays. Every
now and then a man will make from
five to ten dollars a day. But at the
mouth of the Glommen, for instance,
such enormous masses of mackerel
crowded up to the shore that the av-
erage daily earnings of the men pull
ing in the fish was about 500, and the
luckiest of them would make as much
as $50 or even SIS day. Women
who pack the fish expect to make from
SIS to $50 a week.
There is a rich crop of wild berries
In Norway this year. The blueberries
are most plentiful. The allies are pay
ing big price for berries, and the
housewives of Norway would like to
see an embargo on the expectation of |
berries in order that the people of |
Norway may have a chance to buy
this excellent food at a reasonable |
price.
The Red Cross asked the board of |
health of the parish of Faaberg for |
permission to bring German and Rus |
sian captives Of war who suffer from |
tuberculosis into the parish and see |
that they are cared for. The men, |
bers of the board expressed them
selves strongly against such move |
from a sanitary point of view.
The storthing voted $500 for keep
ing a preacher "a Spitzbergen. But |
the cost Of living in that part of the !
world is so high that no man dared {
to accept the position.
'Tangin" (from "tang." the Norwe-
gian word for kelpl is the name of a
drug which Norwegian firm has com
nenced TO produce from kelp. a sea
weed which was formerly burned In
order that the ashes might be used for
production Of valuable dyestuR. II is
claimed that tangin is a very effective
remedy for govt, rheumatism and is