Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Second part - XIII. Internal Communications - 3. Country Roads. By J. P. Velander, Ph. C., Stockholm
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COUNTRY ROADS.
999
According to the inn regulations of 1734, the governor of the province had
to decide where inns should exist, and the farms were bound to take the trouble
of keeping them, against privileges set down by law (innkeepers’ privileges). But
at tbe side of this, 1he duty of keeping a relay of post-horses continued to be
a considerable burden. As early as 1633, crown-tenants and farmers living out
of the way, were enjoined to have horses in readiness at the innkeepers’ (constables’)
during 4 days at a time (tenants of the Nobility only for 2 days). As soon as these
horses were employed, notice was given for as many more as were needed to be
sent from the people in the neighbourhood of the inn (so-called reserve post). In
1727, a trial was made to get the irregularity of this burden smoothed out by an
agreement about a so-called post-law before the courts, which had to distribute the
duties within its district according to settled principles. In general, the hire no
doubt was too small a remuneration for the trouble of keeping post-horses, for
which reason the displeasure and the complaints never ceased. At last it was begun
in 1810, when possible, to put up the work to contract, by which horses should
be held in readiness against a higher pay and with a subvention of public means. As
a rule, the innkeeper himself or a peasant living quite near the inn became the
contractor; but when the number of horses he bad undertaken to keep were employed, the
obligation of the farm-owners to provide reserve horses when wanted, came into force.
By the Law of 1878 about posting, the soil has nearly altogether
been delivered from the »burden». The hire per mile is stipulated for
each Län by the State Government (after proposal of the Governor and
the County Councils), but in case, at the Dutch auction, the lowest
amount for which a solvent contractor undertakes to keep post-horses
prove larger than the hire, the State pays half (in certain cases
somewhat more) and the County council grants the rest, which latter
contribution is rated, not only on the landed property that formerly had to
bear the posting burden alone, but also on other property and income.
However, by lowering or refusing the contract contribution demanded
when finding it too high, the County council can occasion a return to
the old system of reserve post. Further, the law in question annulled
a great many dispensations from partaking in the posting that had been
granted to several kinds of farms, benefices, and functions. Nevertheless,
the duty still partly remains of transporting for the crown against a
stipulated payment, differing in times of war from times of peace as
also varying for different kinds of farms. However, this burden
nowadays occurs only exceptionally, as the rather numerous railway lines
of our country less and less necessitate posting for private people and
still less for military purposes. — Of the lessened extent of public
posting, the figures below bear witness; they show the annual number
of post horses sent out during the quinquennial periods of 1856/1900:
1856/60.................. 948,000
1861 65............. 621,309
1866 70.................. 416,245
1871/75.................. 585,084
1876/80.................. 379,234
1881/85.................. 255,853
1886/90.................. 204,124
1891/95.................. 232,280
18%/00..................316,212
During the last two periods the number has increased again. The cause
of the decrease may in several places be the high posting rates, in
consequence of which it will sometimes prove cheaper to hire private horses.
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