756 



SWEDEN AND NORWAY. 



the first manifestations of Socialistic activity 

 in Sweden to consider measures for improving 

 the condition of the working-classes. This 

 commission, in September, 1888, reported 

 projects of laws embracing measures for the 

 protection of the life and health of workmen, 

 the insurance of laborers and seamen against 

 accidents, and a state insurance establishment. 



NORWAY. The legislative power is vested 

 in the Storthing, consisting of 114 members, 

 which, on assembling, divides itself into the 

 Odelsthing and the Lagthing. All legislation 

 originates in the Odelsthing, which is thrice 

 as numerous as the Lagthing. The smaller 

 body adopts or rejects the bills that come from 

 the other House. Bills that are rejected by 

 the Lagthing can be passed by a vote of two 

 thirds of the entire Storthing sitting together. 

 The King can veto a measure twice, but, if it 

 is passed by three successive Storthings, it be- 

 comes law. The executive authority is exer- 

 cised by the King through a Council of State, 

 consisting of a Minister of State in Christiania, 

 another minister residing in Stockholm near 

 the King, and at least seven Councilors of 

 State, of whom two reside in Stockholm. The 

 Council of State at Christiania in the beginning 

 of 1888 was composed as follows: Minister of 

 State, Johan Sverdrup; Department of Edu- 

 cation and Ecclesiastical Affairs, Dr. Elias 

 Blix ; Department of Justice, Hans Georg 

 Jakob Stang; Department of the Interior, 

 Sofus Anton Birger Arctander; Department 

 of Public Works, Birger Kildal; Department 

 of Finance and Customs, Baard Madsen Haug- 

 land ; Department of Defense, Johan Sverdrup ; 

 Department of the Revision of Accounts, Jakob 

 Liv Rosted Sverdrup. The delegation of the 

 Council of State at Stockholm was composed 

 of Ole Richter, Minister of State, and Aimar 

 August Sorenssen and Hans Rasmus Astrup, 

 Councilors of State. 



Finances. The receipts of the treasury for 

 the year ending June 30, 1887, were 42,977,- 

 000 kroner, of which sum 19,495,600 kronor 

 were derived from customs, 6,038,400 kronor 

 from railways, 2,594,400 kronor from the 

 brandy-tax, 2,276,700 kronor from the postal 

 service, 2,165,700 kronor from invested capital, 

 and smaller amounts from the malt duty, do- 

 mains and forests, and other sources. The 

 total expenditure was 43,145,400 kronor, of 

 which 7,951,300 kronor were for railroads, 

 bridges, and other public works, 9,026,800 

 kronor for the administration of the finances, 

 5,280,100 kronor for posts, telegraphs, and 

 other services under the charge of the Interior 

 Department, 4,310,300 kronor for education 

 and worship, 4,131,400 kronor for sanitary 

 service, police, and prisons, 6,654,100 kronor 

 for the army, and 2,601,900 kronor for the 

 navy. The amount of the state debt on June 

 30, 1887, was 108,427,600 kronor, and of active 

 capital 139,207,700 kronor. 



The Army. By virtue of the laws of 1866, 

 1876, and 1885, the military forces are divided 



into troops of the line, landvcern, and land- 

 storm. The troops of the line are limited to 

 800 officers and 18,000 men. The other bodies 

 are destined for the defense of the country 

 within its borders. 



The Navy. The fleet of war in 1887 consisted 

 of 4 monitors, 2 frigates, 2 corvettes, 30 gun- 

 boats, 9 torpedo-boats, and 7 other vessels, 

 having a total armament of 163 guns. 



Commerce. The total value of the imports in 

 1887 was 133,691,000 kronor, as compared 

 with 135,169,000 kronor in 1886; the value 

 of the exports was 106,628,000 kronor, as com- 

 pared with 102,844,000 kronor. The average 

 value of the imports for the five years preced- 

 ing was 152,272,000 kronor, and of the exports 

 111,215,000 kronor. The imports from Great 

 Britain in 1887 were 35,368,000 kronor in 

 value; from Germany, 34,950,000 kronor; 

 from Sweden, 16,873,000 kronor; from Russia, 

 14,873,000 kronor. The exports to Great Brit- 

 ain were valued at 34,588,000 kronor; to 

 Sweden, 14,455,000 kronor; to Germany, 13,- 

 817,000 kronor. The value of the imports 

 from the United States was 7,185,000 kronor, 

 and of the exports to the United States 1,108,- 

 000 kronor. The imports of cereals and flour 

 in 1886 were of the value of 26,891,000 kronor, 

 the most important article being wool, of the 

 value of 9,328,000 kronor, after which came 

 coffee, coal, sugar, butter and cheese, and cot- 

 ton goods. Fish was exported of the value of 

 31,153,000 kronor, and timber of the value of 

 2!). -275, 000 kronor. Other articles of export 

 are wood-pulp, trainoil, butter, woolen and 

 cotton good?, skins and hides, and matches. 



Communications. The length of railroads open 

 to traffic in 1888 was 1,562 kilometres, or 970 

 miles. 



There were 21,722,315 letters and 21,332,664 

 newspapers carried in the mails during 1887. 

 The receipts of the Post-Office were 2,366,288 

 kronor ; expenses, 2,439,355 kronor. 



The state telegraph lines at the end of 1887 

 had a length of 7,494 kilometres, with 13,087 

 kilometres of wires. The number of internal 

 dispatches was 442,660 in 1887; of foreign 

 dispatches, 172,621 sent and 214,215 received. 

 The receipts were 838,528 kronor; expenses, 

 1,030,487 kronor. 



Politics. The dissatisfaction of the Radicals 

 with the Cabinet led to their secession from 

 the party in the beginning of the year on the 

 refusal of the Premier to dismiss his nephew, 

 Jakob Sverdrup, and admit the Democratic 

 leaders, Steen and Qvam, into the ministry. 

 The Storthing was opened on February 2. The 

 Odelsthing did not re-elect Qvam as president, 

 but Daae, a Moderate. The left formally dis- 

 solved itself, and a group of the Pure Left was 

 constituted under the leadership of Rector 

 Steen. The Radical ministers, Arctander, 

 Astrup, and Kildal, retired, nnd their resigna- 

 tions were accepted on February 16 by the 

 King, whom the crisis brought to Christiania. 

 Two weeks later the Minister of Education and 



