326 Norway and tke Norivegians 



a smaller body consisting of from tliree to twelve 

 persons, called Formandslrib — literally Body of Chief 

 Men. We may translate it Local Government Board. 

 This, like our late County Boards, has the administra- 

 tion of most of the local affairs; but the budget, or, let 

 us say more simply, the local rates are settled by it 

 in conjunction with the Municipal Council. The last 

 body exercises no administrative functions separate 

 from those of the Local Board. 



The matters committed to the care of these local 

 bodies are the maintenance of the roads and highways 

 (of most of them, that is to say), of quays, churches, 

 schools, hospitals, and other public buildings ; free 

 education, livgiene, and the administration of the 

 public hospitals ; the regulation of the water supply, 

 scavenging, and police — though of these last only the 

 main body of the force : the ofiicers are paid by the 

 State. 



These three last items apply only to the urban 

 administrative bodies. For, strange to say, there is 

 no police in the rural districts ; and this fact shows 

 that, however turbulent and difficult to govern the 

 Norwegians w&re in the earlier years of their history, 

 they are very amenable to law and order now. In the 

 country districts the authority of the law is repre- 

 sented by the Fogder and the Lensmcend. But, as we 

 have not yet spoken of the executive authorities of 

 either town or country, we will devote a separate 

 section to explain what these are. 



In most towns the executive authority is confined to 

 a Borgemester or a Ptaadmand. The larger towns have 

 one or two of these functionaries, their magistrates ; 



