A _, 



grant mortgage loans both against direct mortgage-deeds and against 

 mortgage-documents deposited as security. The saving-banks are self- 

 owning institutions, which give no dividend to private persons, but either 

 add the annual profits to capital or apply a portion of the surplus to 

 purposes of public utility. The operations of the savings-banks are 

 hedged around by legislative prescriptions and are subjected to ^fficial 

 control, exercised by a Director of Savings-banks and a number of 

 inspectors. The number of savings-banks is at present 555, with a total 

 disposable capital of somehwat over 2 milliard kroner. 



Insurance System. 



Buildings of value throughout the whole country are, almost without 

 exception, insured against damage by fire in the great public insurance 

 companies. The largest of these is Norges brandkasse (The Norwegian 

 Fire Insurance Fund). There are, besides, local co-operative insurance 

 societies in operation around in the country districts, in addition to a 

 number of private insurance companies. The buildings in the rural dis- 

 tricts are insured for a total amount of about 4.5 milliard kroner. 



Insurance against forestfires see page 35. 



Live-stock insurance has of late years attracted increasing 

 interest, but owing to the good conditions of health amongst the live- 

 stock there has not hiitherto been any very great demand for a general 

 system of insurance in this field. 



EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM 



In 1921 Norway possessed the following specialised schools for Agri- 

 culture, Horticulture, Dairying, Forestry and Domestic Science: 



A. High Schools, mainly for the training of teachers and officials and 

 for scientific research: 



The High School of Agriculture for Norway. (Norges Landbruks- 

 hefiskole) State Training School for Teachers and Instructors to Small- 

 holders. State Training School for Female Teachers in House- 

 wifery. 



B. Schools which are specially intended for training in practical require- 

 ments : 



