35 



suring done. The result of this was that in many cases the seller was 

 more or less at the mercy of the buyer. In order to secure a more 

 equitable arrangement in the measuring of timber intended for sale there 

 have of late years been established along the main water-ways special 

 institutions with permanent, sometimes sworn, measurers, who receive 

 the timber on behalf of the buyer. These measurement institutiojis_are 

 called associations for measuring of timber. Their establishment is 

 quite voluntary. They have a council of management, to which one half 

 of the members are elected by the buyers and one half by the sellers and 

 the buyers and sellers likewise bear half of the 'expenses each. 



The Norwegian Mutual Forest-fire Insurance 

 Company. 



This company was founded in 1912 by the Norwegian forest-owners. 

 The company undertakes insurance of forests against a premium of 

 iK o/oo of the insurance amount in cases where forest-fire regulations 

 have been introduced. Where such regulations have not been estab- 

 lished, the premium is i% o/oo. 



After an insurance period of 4 years a reduction of 20 % is made 

 in the premium. After a further 4 years a reduction of 4/10 o/oo is al- 

 lowed in the form of a bonus. The most of the insurers have thus an 

 effective premium of 60 0re per 1000 kroner of insurance amount. Only 

 the forest ground and young wood are included in the insurance, but not 

 timber trees. 



In 1920 there was insured in the company about 65 % of the 

 forest area of coniferous trees and to a total value of 259, 124,000 kroner. 



Of other associations concerned with forestry may be mentioned: 

 The Norwegian Timber Export Association (Norsk Trelasteksportfor- 

 ening), The Norwegian Pit-props Exporters' Association (Norsk Props- 

 eksportp'rers landsforening), The Norwegian Cellulose Association (Norsk 

 Celluloseforening), The Norwegian Wood-pulp Association (Den norske 

 Tremasseforening), The Norwegian Papermakers' Association (De nor- 

 ske Papirfabrikanters Forening) and Norway's Timber Union (Norges 

 Trelastforbund). 



The forest-owners have also their own bank: The Forest-owners' 

 Bank (Skogeierbanken). 



Legislation concerning Forestry. 



Here may in the first place be mentioned the law of August 

 8th 1908 for the preservation of protective woods 

 and against the destruction of forests, with the 

 supplementary law of June 7th 1916. By virtue of 

 these laws rules have been established by Royal Order in Council for 

 the hewing of timber within the different rural districts, which rules 

 generally contain, amongst other things, a prohibition against the cutting 

 down of trees under a fixed minimum dimension, except where such 



