Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-08-14


can be used for mining, manufactur.
q and other Industrial purposeslin
fact. these resources may. when fully
developed. be expected to revolutions
ize the economic life Of Norway.
IN 1903 the Knudsen cabinet Sc
cured extremely rigorous Concession
laws" covering the purchase OF nat
ural resources. The aim Of the legts-
!ation Was 70 Keep the-forests outside
n eac OF private capital, whether
owned by this state Or the Individual
municipalities
New laws made It impossible for
private investors to acquire pernia-
nent holding of mines and waterfalls.
They could be leased Tor d term OF
years but would then revert TO the
state. together with ali the improve.
ments which had been made mean
while.
IN the fall OF 1903 the Knddseh
cabinet resigned because Of the cleo
tons which gave the conservatives
n n liberals a majority over the
radical liberals and the Socialists.
Social Legis1ation.~
It is characteristic to note that the
causes Of political crises In Norway
during the last ten years have been
CT a cultural OIL social nature. There
may have been politics in the public
ways q highes motive BACK of II, all
ways an idealSwhich was deeply rooted
In the sconsctousncss that Norway was
awakening to a new future
w. KohoW formed a new cabinet in
1919, and the victorious parties Inn
mediately set about to secure legisla-
ton which would make state irlstr.
a.1ce ii,.cases Of accidents and .ickness
compulsory also for searnen n
farmers. Old age pensions for all
people more than 10 years old were
tslso established.
Galley 2-PREsENT POLITICAL
The Ko1ow cabinet held that the
concession laws" were too rigid and
too undernocratic SC It demanded re-
stricuons SO as not to impair the
rights Of personal ownership.
Norwegian Women Vote.
In 1912 women were made eligible
to all public offices except those In
the cabinet, the army and navy, ana
ecclesiastical offices, and one year
later q constitutional amendment was
adopted to the effect that all Nor
Weglan citizens. men and women, who
are 25 years Of 6 and who have
lived In Norway for a period of ave
years, shall have the right to vote.
This example was followed two years
later by Denmark. There Is Abso-'
lutely no restriction in the use OF the
ballot, no discrimination between men
and women, and 1t is characteristic
that Norway gave the first woman in
the worlds history to a national par
liz ment.
An Issue of Language
cause Of hts attitude to the Lands
maal" question. Extreme Norwegian
~nationalists had maintained that now
Norway was an Independent nation.
its language ought to be IT'D own en-
tirely and, should. not be the official
Danish which had been prevailing in
the country for centuries.
The conservatives were disgrlrtled
with Konow because he placed the
Dano-Norwegian. IT. appears that
Konow in a speech had favored the
Landsrnaal, and as a consequences the
conservatives went against him and
overthrow his cabinet A govern
mont had gone to pieces on the issue
Of whether or not a moro or less arh-
fetal peasants dialect should be rec
ogni7ed as the official language OF q
r1atiohl
The Radicals Surge Ahead:
Konow's cabinet was followed by j.,
KIN. BrAtlie who was q pronounced
conservative. He attacked the conces-
sion laws and in other ways made
himself persona non grata to the rad
fcals and the socialists.
The result was more than could be
expected, for the next election showed
that the radicals and b labor party
captured 76 seats In the Stortfng, the
.tfyes;aRd their alliessa tie .itberals.
ceeded in securing only "a seatss
In parliamentary Scandinavia q pab-
met resigns when the voters 60 against
the party represented BY the cabinet
members. So Bratlie had to go, and
Gunnar Knudsen again " q appointed
premier. He is still at the head OF the
cabinet.
one Of Knudsen's first tasks was to
He and his associates had arMcle H.
the constitution changed 50 az to-
deprive the king Of his power. Of veto
in cases Of constitutional amendments.
This was IN early featlire Of the see-
ond Kriudsen regime and was chara6-
teristic. showing as it did that the ma
tiof1ally conscious Norwegian was In
tent on maintaining his rights as q
free ana Independent citizen Of HIS
country.
The Result Of the Period.
The turbulent period following Ina
upon the parting OF ways
with Sweden has been rich in lessons
and results, It may be said that Nor
way really WIS d vast political expert
rnent field after 1905 and the fire.
duent changes OF government leaders
a brief period indicates that
conditions had not become Absolutely
stable.
But whatever has happened In Nor
way, the world has been shown that q
extremely democrats. AS Henry
Goddard Leach, an American student
Scandinavian conditions, has put II:
Tile Norwegians retain their demo-
ofatic ideals. The wide distribution Of
property-ownership contributes to