The National Gain, § 24

§ 24

That part of our laws that concerns rural trade deserves our special attention.1. . . that part of our laws that concerns rural trade: so-called landsköp or landthandel (buying up in the countryside) or farmers trading with each other was in principle forbidden, and had been at least since 1538. Instead, farmers were obliged to transport wares to cities in order for them to be put to market. This also included the provision that farmers had to pay a duty when entering the city (the so-called little toll). The latter existed until 1810. The last restrictions on rural trade were lifted in 1846 and 1864 in Sweden and in 1859 in Finland (see also Commentary on The Answer to the Question on Rural Trade). A merchant is not allowed to travel around the country and sell his wares, nor the farmer to buy up anything from his neighbours and take it to market in town or to provide them with any goods from the town in return.

Unless a neighbour is willing to become his agent, he must personally undertake a journey of two or three days to the town, often for a lighting flint or a twist of tobacco, perhaps during the busiest period of harvest time. Who, then, is to pay for his journey? Had his neighbour been allowed to conduct a little trade in the most necessary wares, he would have avoided this waste of time, but, as that has been banned, I can only attribute this waste to the regulation itself.

I must regret that it has not been scrupulously obeyed, but I also believe, out of deepest conviction, that such law-breaking has saved at least a quarter of the nation from a wasted existence.

To discuss such an important matter fully is not possible here. I simply wish to encourage the reader to give some thought to it.25

The whole of Savo (Savolax), Häme (Tavastland) and Karelia2Savo, Häme and Karelia are three counties in Finland. lie far from any towns. Grain and provisions are their products, in exchange for which they obtain salt and other necessities from the towns. The more affluent buy them up from their neighbours, who do not have horses or cannot take these goods to the town themselves, and in return provide them with their necessities.

No one undertakes to act as an agent for poor people, nor is anyone able to deal with 50 or 60 individuals. If this rural trade had not been conducted, the country would therefore be deprived of their products and the poor would waste their lives in hunger and idleness. If there is no demand for the commodity, production will come to a complete standstill, and what happens then to the national profit?

1. . . . that part of our laws that concerns rural trade: so-called landsköp or landthandel (buying up in the countryside) or farmers trading with each other was in principle forbidden, and had been at least since 1538. Instead, farmers were obliged to transport wares to cities in order for them to be put to market. This also included the provision that farmers had to pay a duty when entering the city (the so-called little toll). The latter existed until 1810. The last restrictions on rural trade were lifted in 1846 and 1864 in Sweden and in 1859 in Finland (see also Commentary on The Answer to the Question on Rural Trade).
2. Savo, Häme and Karelia are three counties in Finland.