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charges. In the stricter reformatories children may be kept from the age of 12 to that of 21 years; in the more lenient, from their 6th to their 18th year of age. The number of children in reformatories at the end of June, 1904, was 328 boys and 95 girls. The amount expended on these schools in the session 1901-02 was 282,380 kroner, of which 178,157 kroner was granted by the State. There are, besides, 3 communal compulsory schools, established mainly for children neglecting the ordinary school.

Justice and Crime.

For civil justice Norway is divided into 107 districts, each with an inferior court. Of these 82 are rural courts, divided into 454 circuits. The other courts are in towns. There are 3 superior courts, having each one chief justice and two other justices, and one supreme court for the whole kingdom (Höiesteret), consisting of 1 president and at least 6 other justices. There is a court of mediation (Forligelseskommission) in each town and Herred (district), consisting of two men chosen by the electors, before which, as a rule, civil cases must first be brought.

According to the law of criminal procedure of July 1, 1887, all criminal cases (not military, or coming under the Rigsret--the court for impeachments) shall be tried either by jury (Lagmandsret), or Meddomsret.

The Lagmandsret consists of three judges (1 Lagmand, or president), and 10 jurors (Lagrettemand). The Kingdom is divided into 5 jury districts (Lagdömmer), each having its chief judge (Lagmand). Each district is divided into circuits, corresponding, as a rule, to the counties (Amter), in which courts are held at fixed times. The Meddomsret consists of the judge and is held in the district of the inferior court, and 2 assistant judges (not professional) summoned for each case. The Lagmandsret takes cognisance of the higher classes of offences. The Meddomsret is for the trial of other offences, and is also a court of first instance.

The prosecutions are directed by the State advocates (Statsadvokater), 13 in number, subordinate to one Rigsadvokat.

The number of persons convicted of crimes was in 1901, 3,787; in 1900, 3,951; in 1899, 3,585; in 1898, 3,802; in 1897, 3, 409; in 1896, 3,075. For offences against public order and police, penalties were, in 1900, inflicted upon 55,187 persons.

There are four convict prisons; inmates, March 31, 1904, 682 (621 were males and 61 females). In the asylum for insane offenders at same time 28 patients.

There are, besides, 173 district prisons (13 kredsfangsler," 39 greater and 121 small auxiliary prisons), in which, in 1901, 17,841 persons were detained. The police force of Kristiania numbers 503 men, including 18 superior functionaries.

Pauperism.

In Norway the relief of the poor is mostly provided for by local taxation but certain expenditure is also borne by the Amter (counties) and by the State. The number of persons receiving relief amounted to 83,389 in 1902, 82, 141 in 1901, 78,252 in 1900, 80,730 in 1899, 80, 135 in 1898, In 1902, 9,796; 1901, 9,553; 1900, 11,501, 1899, 10,982; 1898, 10,155 persons are included who have only been medically relieved.

Finance.

The following table shows the revenue and expenditure for each of the last five years in thousands of kroner (18 kroner

=

£1):

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The following table shows the principal heads of the budget for two years, ending March 31 :

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1 Raised by loans (kroner 6,973,511 68 for railways, kroner 425,000 for telegraphs and telephones, and kroner 3,259,000 for extraordinary defensive purposes, the last amount to be in time recovered from cash).

2 Raised by loans for railways.

The following table shows the amortisation, growth, and interest of the public debt for the years named, ending June 30 or March 31 :-

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The taxation for communal purposes amounted for the rural communes to 16,154,035 kroner, and for the towns to 20,736,157 kroner in 1902.

Defence.

The most important fortresses of Norway are Oscarsborg and the new fortresses by Agdenes, Bergen, Tönsberg, Christianssand S. and Fredriksten; the other fortresses, Carljohansvaern, Akershus in Kristiania, Trondhjem, and Vardö, are of little importance.

The troops of the Kingdom are raised mainly by conscription, and to a small extent by enlistment. By the terms of three laws voted by the Storthing in 1866, 1876, and 1885, the land forces are divided into the troops of the Line, the Landvaern, the Landstorm or final levy. All young men past the twenty-second year of age are liable to the conscription. The young men in the line raised by conscription have to go through a first training in the school of recruits, extending over 48 days in the infantry, in the fortress artillery, 72 days in the engineers, 60 days in the mountain artillery and the positions artillery, 92 days in the field artillery, and 102 days in the cavalry. They are then put into the battalions, which in the first, second and third year in the field artillery, cavalry, engineers, and infantry, in the first, second, third and fourth year in the fortress artillery under ordinary circumstances, have an annual practice of 24 days, after which the men are sent on furlough, with obligation to meet when ordered. The Landvaern has a 24 days' practice in the seventh or the eighth year. The train has a school of recruits, extending over 60 days for the engineers, and 18 days in the other arms. The nominal term of service is 16 years, divided between 6 years in the Line, 6 years in the Landvaern,

and 4 years in the Landstorm. The Landvaern and Landstorm is only liable to service within the frontiers of the Kingdom. Every man capable of bearing arms, and not placed in one of the said categories, is in time of war liable to do service in the reserve of the Landstorm, from the eighteenth to the fiftieth year

of age.

The troops of the line numbered about 30,000 men, with 900 officers. The number of troops of the line actually under arms can never exceed, even in war, 18,000 men without the consent of the Storthing. The King has permission to transfer, for the purpose of common military exercises, a number of men not exceeding 3,000, from Norway to Sweden and from Sweden to Norway, but only for (at most) six weeks annually. The troops of the Landvaern and the Landstorm numbered about 50,000 men with 800 officers.

The infantry consists of 5 brigades of 4 battalions of Line, Landvaern, and Landstorm, of 4 companies; Norske jægerkorps,' consisting of 1 battalion of Line, Landvaern, and Landstorm, each consisting of 4 companies. Belonging to the Norske jægerkorps's' is his Majesty's guard, consisting of 1 company of sub-officers' pupils. For each brigade, and for the infantry in the northern part of the country, there is a school of sub-officers. There are

2 companies of cyclists.

In Nordland and Tromso there are 2 battalions of 4 companies, in Finmarken 2 companies.

Cavalry.-3 corps of Line, Landvaern and Landstorm, each consisting of 3 (1 corps 2) squadrons of mounted riflemen.

In addition, 1 orderly-squadron of Line, Landvaern and Landstorm. Besides there is a school of sub-officers, "The school-squadron."

Field Artillery.-3 battalions of Line and Landvaern, of 3 batteries of 6 pieces, and 1 company of equipage field artillery per battalion; two batteries (Line and Landvaern), of 6 pieces mountain artillery, and 1 battalion of positions artillery,' consisting of 5 companies. There is 1 school of subofficers for the field and mountain artillery.

Fortress Artillery.-6 fortress battalions of different strength, 5 signal and 5 torpedo organisations, and 1 school of sub-officers.

Engineers.-1 battalion of Line, Landvaern, and Landstorm, of 2 companies of sappers, 1 company of pontooneers, 1 company of telegraphists, and 1 company of equipage. Besides there is a school of sub-officers.

Like the Swedish navy, that of Norway is maintained solely for coast defence. It consists of 4 modern armourclads built at Elswick; 4 ironclad monitors; 3 unarmoured gun-vessels of 580 to 1,382 tons, built 1877-96; 2 older gunboats of 190 tons, 8 between 230 and 400 tons, and 9 smaller (60 tons), besides a small torpedo flotilla (32 torpedo boats and 1 torpedo division boat). Three torpedo boats building.

These ships call for little description. The monitors, Skorpionen, Thrudvang, and Mjölner (1,448 to 1,517 tons) were built in 1866-69. They have 5-inch armour-belts, and 12-inch plating on their turrets, which carry severally two 4.7-in. Q. F., two 2'4-in. Q. F., and two 1-5 in. Q. F. The Thor, launched in 1872, is a little larger (2,007 tons), has 14-inch turret-plating, and carries two 4.7-in. Q. F., two 2.4-in. Q. F. guns, and two 1·5-in. Q. F. Of unarmoured ships the deck-protected gun-vessel Viking (1,123 tons) is steel-built, with a cellulose belt, is 203 ft. 6 in. in length, and has 30 ft. beam, engines of 2,000 I.H.P., and steamed 15 knots at her trials. Her armament consists of one 59-in. gun, one 47-in. gun, two 3-in. B. L. for boat service, four 3-in. and six smaller quick-firers. A newer vessel of the Viking type is the

Frithjof (1,382 tons), armed with two 4-7-in. Q.F., six 3-in. Q.F., two 3-in. B. L. for boat service, and four smaller quick-firers, and having a speed of 15 knots. The torpedo division boat Valkyrjen (380 tons), armed with two 3-in. Q. F., and four smaller quick-firers, steamed 23 knots at her trials.

The turret ships Harald Haarfagre and Tordenskiold were built on the Tyne in 1898. They displace 3,500 tons, and are protected by a belt of armour on the side, and by an armoured deck curved down to the lower edge of the belt. The thickness of the belt is 7 in. and of the armour in the barbettes, 7.9-in. (Harveyed steel). The armament consists of two 8-2-in. Q. F., in gunhouses (turrets), six 4.7-in. Q.F., six 3-in. Q. F., and six smaller quick-firers and two submarine torpedo-tubes. The speed is 172 knots. They are remarkably powerful vessels for their size, and two others of the class were launched in 1900 at Elswick. These, the Norge and Eidsvold, displace 4,000 tons, and have their secondary armament in casemates of 6-in. Krupp armour. General arrangement and speed are the same as the Tordenskiold's. The armament consists of two 8 2-in. Q.F. in gun-houses of 8-in. nickel steel, six 6-in. Q. F. in casemates, eight 3-in. Q. F., six smaller quickfirers, and two submarine torpedo-tubes.

The navy numbers about 120 officers on active service and about 120 in the reserve, and about 1,200 petty officers and seamen on permanent engagement. All seafaring men between the ages of twenty-two and thirty-eight are enrolled on the lists of the active fleet, and are liable to the maritime conscription. By a law passed in 1892, they all go through a first training of at least 70 days. In 1900 the Storthing amended this law so that only a limited number of conscripts (between 700 and 800) are to be required yearly to go through a training of at least 6 months.

Production and Industry.

I. AGRICULTURE.

Of the total area, 75 per cent. is unproductive, 22 per cent. forest, and 3 per cent. under cultivation. At the end of 1900 there were 159,255 real estates separately registered (not including Finmarken), and the number of farms was 245,994. The 159,255 real estates were classified as follows according to the official valuation in cadaster-marks (each representing an average purchase value of about £100 sterling):—

Up to 0.20 mark 19,956 estates or 125 per cent. of the whole.

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As to the classification of the estates according to their area, no returns have been collected since the last revision of the survey about 1865. In 1900 the area under cereals was 165,616 hectares; under potatoes 36,705 hectares. The estimated yield in 1903 was (in hectolitres): wheat,

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