a tonnage duty was imposed on shipping as a special tax, and this up to July 1919 had realized about 75,000,000 kr., which was used for measures against scarcity. The expenses-of-neutrality service (main- taining the neutrality of the country, principally along the coast with the aid of the navy) cost in 1914-5 21,800,000; in 1915-6 27,200,- ooo; in 1916-7 41,300,000; in 1917-8 55,800,000, and in 1918-9 35,300,000 kr. ; or a total of 181,400,000 kr.
On June 30 1914 the Norwegian national debt amounted to 357,- 400,000 kr., for the greater part long-period (50-75 years) loans with 3, 35 and 4% interest. Of this debt 336,500,000 was in foreign countries and 20,900,000 in Norway. Up to the end of 1919 four fixed loans were adopted, three with a total amount of 225,000,000 in the country itself, and one 18,600,000 kr. in amount, repayable in 1923 in the United States. There were in addition some short- term repayable loans of smaller amounts taken up in America and England. On Dec. 31 1919 the fixed national debt had in- creased to 594,300,000 kr. To this must be added the cash credits opened in 1918-9 by the different Norwegian banks for the pur- poses of financing trade, which brought the floating debt of the State at the end of 1918 up to 422,500,000, a total national debt therefore of 1,016,800,000 kr. The yearly installment and interest on the fixed national debt, which in 1914-5 amounted to 17,500,- ooo kr., had in 1920-1 increased to double, 34,700,000 kr. A new loan in 1920-1 brought the national debt on Dec. 31 1920 up to a total of 1,167,000,000 kr. or 440 kr. per head of the pop- ulation. During the war period it was maintained as an invariable principle that fixed loans could only be applied to reproductive purposes construction of railways and telegraph lines, building of power stations, purchase of waterfalls and industrial construction. To such purposes nearly 500,000,000 kr. was applied in 1921. In addition the State possesses all goods purchased and stored for the provisioning operations and not liquidated, up to Oct. 1921 to an amount of at least 100,000,000 kr. Finally the amount the State was owed abroad (especially by Germany) was at least 150,000,000 kr. for goods supplied principally fish.
The Norwegian communes occupy a very independent position as regards the State, not only in political constitution but in economic finances. They have, practically speaking, full self-government. The approval of the Government is only required for the putting into operation of such economic measures as bind the finances of the commune for a long period of years, e.g. all communal loans. Taxes in the communes have increased to an extraordinary extent. For all corporate townships and cantons together they amounted in 1910 to 45,840,000 kr. ; in 1914-5 to 65,190,000 kr., and 1919-20 to 322,280,000 kr. In 1920 new communal loans to a total of 350,- 000,000 kr. were adopted, or about as much as the whole of the total communal debt on June 30 1917. In 1921 the total communal debts amounted to 1,000,000,000 kr. This money has however been used mainly for reproductive purposes electric works, gas and water supply and the like. In 1914-5 every taxpayer in the towns paid 130-90 kr. in communal taxes, which amounted to an average of 50-07 kr. per head of the inhabitants. In the budget year 1918-9 these figures increased to 579-34 kr. and 247-69 kr. respectively. In the cantons the corresponding figures were (1914-5) 49-60 kr. and 16-61 kr., (1918-9) 133-75 kr. and 46-02 kr.
A measure of how property and incomes have increased in Norway is afforded in the assessments of the position of the whole population as regards income and property, which are compiled every year in every town and in every canton by a specially appointed local com- missioner, who critically investigates the taxpayers' own statements regarding their economic position, or independently estimates it. The " tax list " compiled in this manner contains the names of all the taxpayers, with a statement of the " presumed " income and property and the " rated " tax for each individual. Though punish- ments for incorrect "personal declarations " are very stringent and appraisement can often be defective, especially in the country by underestimation of the taxpayers' economic ability, the reflection of the economic assessment of the whole country as shown by the total amount of taxation must, roughly regarded, be just.
The figures only apply to the portion of the population which comes under the taxation laws, but the additions for the persons who are without the scope of this are not important. On these calculations the following statement may be given of the total national property and income:
Number of
Taxpayers
Property Million Kr.
Income Million Kr.
1911
1913-4 1917-8
1918-9 1919-20 1920-1
732,158 808,113
919,494 976,252
998.413 1,032,537
2,693-4 3-852-0
7-332-5 10,153-6 11.819-2 12,678-9
609-2 830-7
2,273-4 2,827-7
3,173-4 3,701-8
Agriculture. According to official statistics for issued in 1921) the agricultural area amounts to 2. the area suitable for agriculture to some 1,740,000 ac and 1921 at least some 50,000 ac. were laid under
(K. V. H.)
1917 (the latest ,430,000 ac. and Between 1918 the plough, the
percentage being highest in the counties of Rogaland (5,000 ac/), Nordland (nearly 5,000 ac.), and Hedmark (4,000 ac.), and lowest in Finmark (with only about 250 ac.). During these years the Stor- thing devoted over 26,000,000 kr. to new cultivation. The char- acteristic feature in Norwegian agriculture between 1900 and 1920 was the constant increase of small freeholders having for their speciality the cultivation of root crops and feeding of cattle.
The cultivated area in 1917 was made up as follows: 612,560 ac. fields, 1,100,000 ac. meadows on cultivated soil, 24,000 ac. gardens. In 1919 the crops amounted to the following figures: 29,000 tons wheat, 25,000 tons rye, 115,000 tons barley, 220,000 tons oats, 22,000 tons mangcorn, a total of 411,000 tons of grain, to- gether with 1,000,000 tons of potatoes and 1,700,000 tons of hay.
The total holding of live stock in the country for the dates given was :
Dec. 311907 Jan. I 1918
Horses
Large stock
Sheep
Goats
Swine 163467
According to the prices obtaining in Norway in 1918 the live stock holding for that year had a value of 1,038,000,000 kr. (horses 317,- 000,000 kr., large stock 567,000,000 kr., sheep 84,000,000 kr., goats 12,000,000 kr., swine 47,000,000 kr.). To this must be added, reindeer 11,000,000 kr., feathered stoek 14,000,000 kr., bee stock 1,500,000 kr., and rabbits 500,000 kr.
The following are the figures for dairies and milk-condensing factories :
Number of dairies and factories Milk received in millions of kilograms . Amount paid for milk, in million kroner Amount paid for milk per kgm. (in ore)
170,325
1,027,520
991,211
222,717
208,219 1,085,707 939,940 185,800 127,230
1913
6 77
308-15
33-13
n-35
The total area of forests is approximately 26,640 sq. i
) kr.
1919 460 212-49
94-87
45-22
.,. . . , rn. (69,000
sq. km.), representing a value of about 1,000,000,000 kr. Upwards of 61-4% of the forests are grown with pine and fir trees. The export value of forestry products in 1911-5 averaged annually 92,300,000 kr., and in 1916-9 186,000,000 kr. Exports of planed, cut, shaped and round timber in 1913 amounted in value to about 34,000,000 kr., exports of wood-pulp and cellulose to about 52,000,000 kr., and of paper to about 32,000,000 kr., or altogether about 120,000,000 kr. for forest products. In 1920 there were exported 386,000 tons of wood-pulp as against 496,000 in 1913, 211,600 tons of cellulose against 211,000 tons in 1913, 194,000 tons of paper and pasteboard against 184,000 in 1913, and a total of about 940,000 cu. metres of timber of all kinds against 1,044,000 cu. metres in 1913. Forestry progress is largely due to the Norwegian Afforestation Association, (founded 1898), which has planted annually between 10 and 15 millions of new trees since about 1906.
Fishing Industry. The fisheries are among the principal eco- nomic resources of Norway. It is calculated that nearly 100,000 men (1917) are engaged in them. Up to the close of the igth century Norwegian fisheries generally retained the character of coast fish- eries which they had had for centuries. Since then a great change has taken place and the great bank fisheries, carried on by fishing steamers and motor vessels chiefly from Aalesund (about 16,500 inhabitants), have become important. The Norwegian fishing fleet consisted in 1917 of 267 steamers, 11,048 motor vessels and about 40,000 sailboats, with an approximate total value of 100,000,- ooo kr. In 1917 the total yield of the coast fisheries was valued at 135,000,000 kr.
By law of Aug. I 1919 the Storthing decreed that a Norwegian State Fisheries Bank should be established to finance the Norwegian fisheries, with a State-provided capital amounting to at least 5,000,- ooo kr. and a reserve fund of 750,000 kr. The object of the bank was (l) to grant loans for providing, rebuilding or repairing fishing vessels, (2) to arrange mortgages on fishing vessels, (3) for construct- ing or rebuilding icehouses, refrigerators, drying works, or making similar arrangements for the protection or improvement of fish products, (4) for the consolidation of fisheries by the provision of fishery appliances, equipment, etc. In terms of the law the bank is required to have its head office in the town where the Fisheries Directorate has its seat (therefore in Bergen), but loan offices may be established in such places as the king (Government) may decree. It is stipulated that in such places a union must be constituted of at least 50 members who hold themselves jointly and wholly responsible for thS amount loaned to members. The administration of the bank consists of three members, with the Director of Fisheries as per- manent adviser. The Fisheries Bank commenced operations in Nov. 1921. A State loan of 15,000,000 kr. was granted for the purpose.
Whaling Industry. Scandinavians have recently taken a leading place in the whale-fishing industry. The pioneer was Svend Foyn (1809-1894), who introduced new methods into the industry; and since the discoveries of fishing fields in the Antarctic in 1906-7, whaling has developed in the South Atlantic and in several other parts of the world as well. The total production of whale-oil by Norwegian whaling stations amounted in 1908 to 69,000 bar., in 1911 to 344,000 bar., in 1913 to the " record " of 600,000 bar., in 1915 to 475,000 bar., in 1917 to 231,000 bar., in 1919 to 163,000 bar., and in 1920 to 2 12,000 bar. (6 bar. = i ,000 kgm. = I ton). The number
