Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1186

 1 1 34 NORWAY

including 2,046 Roman Catholics, 10,986 Methodists, 7,659 Baptists, 714 Mormons, 143 Quakers. The Roman Catholics are under a Vicar Apostolic resident at Kristiania.

Education is compulsory, the school age being from six and a half in towns and seven in the country to fourteen. In 1916-17 (the latest date for which there are statistics) there were in the country 5,980 public elementary schools with 284,259 pupils, and in towns 4,182 classes with 98,366 pupils ; the amount expended on both being 30,313,225 kroner, of which 12,242,046 kroner was granted by the State, the rest being provided locally. There are 93 secondary schools : 14 public, 61 communal, 24 private, with 25,459 pupils, in 1916-17. Most of the secondary schools are mixed. Besides these, 83 communal and private schools have 4,017 pupils. There were in 1916-17, 6 public normal schools and 4 private, with 1,351 students. Norway has one University, viz. at Kristiania (founded 1811), attended in 1916-17 by 1,500 students. In the financial year 1917-18 it had its own income, 534,460 kroner, and a State subsidy of 2,571,948 kroner. There is one technical high school at Trondhjem, attended in 1918-19 by 697 students, and one agricultural high school in Aas, with 697 students in the same year. There are also many special schools.

There are 10 schools for abnormal children, deaf, blind, and feeble-minded. There are 9 reformatory schools for neglected children. The number of children in reformatories in 1917 was 498 boys and 331 girls. There are, besides, 4 communal compulsory schools, established mainly for children neglecting the ordinary school.

Norwegian is an independent language side by side with Danish and Swedish. As to the written language, there exists two idioms (' riksmaal ' and ' landsmaal ') and both may be officially used.

Justice and Crime.

For civil justice Norway is divided into 110 districts, each with an inferior court. There are 3 superior courts, having each one chief justice and two other justices, and one supreme court for the whole kingdom (Hoiesteret), consisting of 1 president and at least 6 other justices. There is a court of mediation (Forlih)kom.mission) 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 Afeddomsret. The Lagmandsret consists of three judges and 10 jurors. The Kingdom is divided into 4 jury districts (LagdSmmer), each having its chief judge. Each district is divided into circuits, in which courts are held at fixed times. The Meddovisret 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, and is also a court of appeal. The Meddomsret is for the trial of other offences, and is also a court of first instance.

There are four convict prisons ; inmates, June 30, 1920, 361 males and 16 females. There are 137 local prisons, in which were detained, June 30, 1920, 388 males and 21 females.

Pauperism.

The rolief of the poor is mostly provided for by local taxation by the State. The number of persons receiving relief amounted to 66,828 in 1918.

Finance.

Revenue and expenditure in thousands of kroner (18 kroner = 1/.) : —