Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1944, Side 214

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LE NORD
according to which the State retains the actual ownership of the
land, and even, if the State small-holder wants to sell buildings
and live stock to others than his issue, may take over the farm
and acquire the buildings at the original cost of construction plus
expense of improvements. The Icelandic settler holds a much freer
position. Here it is not a question of legislation for small-holders
and still less of socialization, but of a legislation of a definite
form, rising from Icelandic conditions and with deference to the
mode and conditions of life of the Icelandic peasant. It is still
too early to draw decisive conclusions as to the importance of
this law. Everything is still in an embryo state, but during the
years the law has been in force, some areas have been brought
under cultivation, and dwellings and stables and cow-houses for
these settlers’ farms have been built. Great parts of the country
are still uncultivated, it is true, but in many places there are
splendid natural conditions for the foundation of such farms.
Among the efforts to reclaim some of this waste land and
found more settlers’ farms the compulsory labour service may
be mentioned. It was tried to introduce this as early as 1903,
but the plan was not carried out. The idea, however, lived on
and was supported by the youth organizations, and in 1915 the
Althing carried a law about compulsory labour service, but this
law was rejected by a referendum, and the thought of introducing
labour service then was laid aside. In 1924 the labour service
bill was brought in again, and still 15 years were to pass before
this idea was realized and the bill was passed in 1939.
Compulsory labour service thus is no new idea to the Ice-
landic people. On the contrary it has been discussed and planned
through 3 6 years. Long before the voices of other nations spoke
in the same direction, and quite independently of currents in time
and from abroad this idea has been alive and has grown in the
Icelandic society. Still, the authorities did not dare to engross
youth for a prolonged period. In the beginning they proceeded
cautiously. The term of service was fixed at only a fortnight a
year for three years or a total of six weeks for young men at
the age of 18 to 21. The term of service was made so short in
order that production should not decrease materially, and the
young people be deprived of their possibilities of earning money
to any appreciable degree.
The labour service is to carry out tasks which would hardly
be tackled otherwise, such as work of improvement on the soil