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JERNKONTORET
conditions. Several plans were then discussed with a view to support the iron trade
and to prevent too great fluctuations in the iron prices. It should namely be born in
mind that the iron works were small and the resources regarding capital did at those
times not permit the works to store their products in expectation of better prices. The
results of these discussions was the formation of an association of iron masters. The
regulations stipulated that for each ship-pound iron, the buyer had to pay a certain
due, one "daler" coppermint equal to about 0’60 kronor per ton, in order to form
a capital for the association. This due is still paid by the works, introduced in the
association. The plan was that an ironmaster should be entitled to a loan at 4 %
in the National Bank to the amount of 7/8 of the value of the iron. The interest thus
paid to the bank, was afterwards refunded by Jernkontoret. In case of need,
Jernkontoret was also to buy iron itself in order to prevent drop in prices. After some
years, however, when funds began to accumulate, these funds were lent against
securities to private persons.
Jernkontoret was thus started as a purely economical association, but it did not
last long before it was recognized that cheap loans and reasonable prices of the
products was not enough support to the iron industry: it needed development also in
technical respect. It was found necessary to obtain knowledge of the iron industry of other
countries, to develop better methods for charcoal making, pigiron making, forging, &c.
Already 1751 a special functionary was appointed as chief inspector of the blast
furnaces in the Kingdom. This man was Sven Rinman, the celebrated metallurgist. This
was the origin to a practice, later highly developed, to attach to the Jernkontoret
prominent men for the technical assistance of the iron masters introduced in the
association.
As the funds of the Jernkontoret were growing, means became accessible to
promote the industry also in other respects. We shall only mention the great number of
scientific researches, which have been supported or arranged by Jernkontoret and the
numerous cases, when new inventions of special interest to the industry as a whole have
been investigated at its expense. When the Bessemerprocess had been invented, it was
through the financial aid of Jernkontoret that it was made a success, when the open
hearth process was tried in Sweden it was equally Jernkontoret, who arranged it, and
when electric pig iron making was suggested, Jernkontoret took the leading part.
It would carry us to far to try to give even the faintest idea of all the occasions when
the initiativ of the Jernkontoret has been of decisive importance for the industry it
represents.
Only a few words may be added to explain what Jernkontoret means to day. It
is still an association of iron masters, where each member pays a certain due for each
centner of iron for which he is introduced. The funds amount to about 10.000.000
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