Kraks Vejviser 1930 Handelsregister

6 prooess in dairies, slaughteries etc. prior to exportation. Since 1870 the value of the annual exports of mdustrialized agricultural products from Denmark has increased from about 12 mill. Kroner to over 1000 mill. Kroner. The faet that notwitlistanding tilis the agricultural population dur­ ing the whole of this period has remained practioally the xame bears witness to the great technical progress which has taken place. How important a part this small coun­ try plays for the world market as far as agricultural pro­ ducts are concerned wil-1 be seen from the appended fi­ gures showing tbat Denmark witli a share of about one third is the principal supplier of butter on the world mar­ ket: 1928 Denmark .......................................................... 30 ■ Australia, New Zealand, A rgentina ................... 20 % Holland ............................................................ 9 o/c Riussia ............................................................... 6,5 (fø Other countries ................................................. 25,5»% Moreover Denmark provides the world market witli about 30 % of the total bacon and slaughterhouse produce consumption and about 10 % of the total egg supplies. ... For, purposes of comparison it may be stated that the export values of the most important Danish agricultural products in the years 1913 and 1927 were as follows: 1913 mill. Kr. 1928 mill. Kr Live animals (exeluding fish) ................ 69 85 Bacon, meat and other slaughterhouse products ............................................. 185 482 Butter, cream, milk and cheese................ 223 489 Fggs ............................................................ 33 84 Lard, condensed milk and other foodstuffs 7 39 Seeds, and seeds for sowing .................... 7 10 The importance of Danish agriculture for the national economy of the country is that by means of the export of .these products Denmark is enabled to procure the great- er part of the numerous and verv important raw materi­ els and goods which the country is unable to produce it- self, sucli as ooal, iron, Chemicals, weaving materials etc. It must not be overlooked that the ..export value of the agricultural products comprises essential parts emanating fj-om Danish industry, for instance fodder cake, fertili- £.ers, machinery and implements, electric lighting and power plant, packing and ineans of transportation etc., as well as the finishing processes at dairies, slaughteries, conserves factories, sugar factories, breweries etc. Agriculture in Denmark is carried on by a large number of independent concerns comprising about 2100 large estates, 88,000 farms and some 125,000 small holdjngs. The production and sale of the goods are mainly based upon a co-operative arrangement, and the joint purchasing societies likewise play a prominent part in this respect. Connected with this principal industry there are a large number of research institutions, laboratories, controlling bodies etc. undertaking scientific experiments for the im- provement of the soil, new methods of cultivation, Control of seed, investigaiion of plant diseases, heredity research, milk yielding etc. etc. and in addition there are also a large number of speeial technical schools.

the other hånd it has taken place more rapidly. As late as in 1880 agriculture claimed 41.4 % of the population and industry proper only 26 %, whereas now these two bran­ ches of trade each employ approximately the same figure viz: abt. 30 %-«■ The figures given in the table below from the first in­ dustrial census and that last taken in Denmark show the development which has taken place in the last 28 years from 1897—1925. Danish Industries and Handicrafts: 85,118 82,494 84,112 315,219 350,194 377,991 206,592 227,458 260,709 6,730 15,579 x24,858 113,270 229,843 418,814 *) The inereaso duc to the incorporation of the Slesvig territory in 1920 has not heen included in these and the following figures. The number of workmen employed in industrial under- takings during this period has increased by 47 % where as the number of concerns has increased by only 8 %, a clear indication that a progressive conccntration is taking place. The concentration manifests itself especially in that the number of firms employing more tlian 100 hånds rose from 165 in 1897 to 312 in 1925, and during the same period the number of hånds employed increased from 32,000 to 82,000, or by 156 %. Of these large concentrated activities there are several where the whole or at all events the greater part of the production of the country is do- minated by one single company, this being tlic case for instance with regard to spirits, paper, matches, glass, sugar etc. Notwitlistanding this the number of quite small con­ cerns continues to be very large; in 1925 there were 41,642, or about half the total number, carried on exelusively by the proprietor alone, and in 35,722 concerns there were only from one to five workman employed in each business. Tko question herc concerns principally handicraft firms especially in the budding and connected trades. There are however aniongst these small concerns many of a dis- tinctly industrial character. Industrial development in Denmark commenced so late that the use of gas and electricity offered a greater advantagc than steam in many branches, and, as a conscquence of this, Danish industry has in several even important fields, acquired in some measure the character qf small-scale operations. The small concerns by utilizing electricity and availing them­ selves of modern speciality machines often permit of an equally great economic exploitntion as large-scale in­ dustry, and moreover there is the additional advantagc which the more direct supervision of the principal stands for with regard to the high standard of quality of the pro- duct. For instance butter, Denmark’s principal export article is delivered by soine 1400 quite small concerns, co-opera­ tive dairies, but also in many otlier branches sucli as the manufacture of single parts in series, or where personal taste imparts value to the object, tlie small concern is fully competitive also on the world market. The inereasing industrial character bot li in small and large activities is seen in the greater application of me- ichanical power. The number of concerns utilizing such power (wind and water power exeluded) was dn 1925 Number of etablish- ments ....................... Total number employed Number of workmen . . Works driven 'by me- chanical power . . . . Ilorse-power of machinery .............. 1897 77,256 270,622 176,608 3,856 48,057 1906 1914 192S*)

Danish Industries. As already stated the industrial development in Den­ mark commenced later than that of agriculture, but on