Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - IV. Forestry - 2. Forest Industries. By E. Arosenius
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forest industries.
191
such timber would first be transported across the Atlantic and then, benefiting
by the said privilege as to duty, be finally re-shipped to some English port.
That any direct importation of Swedish timber could take place at all was due
alone to the fact that the latter was more highly valued than the American
product.
Finally, a change of opinion took place in England, when that country’s need
of timber for different industrial purposes became considerably greater. Considerable
reductions were made in the custom-duty on timber in 1842 and 1851. This
duty was further reduced again in 1860, so that it only amounted to one or two
shillings per load, and at last it was entirely abolished in 1866. With this
measure the Swedish timber export gained a market sufficiently extensive to
create in Sweden a real timber industry. The foreign market for Swedish timber
was also increased by the commercial treaty with France of 1865, whereby various
forest-products imported from Sweden, among which were boards and deals, were
relieved from the former custom-duties.
At the same time the commercial legislation of Sweden underwent important
changes. During the eighteenth century, sundry restrictions had been in force
both in regard to the foreign timber trade and to commerce generally within
the kingdom. Thus, e. g., for boards sent to Stockholm certain dimensions were
stipulated by law. These regulations, obstructive to free commerce, were gradually
abolished during the first half of the nineteenth century (more particularly so by
the General Commercial Regulations of 1846). Export-duties had formerly been
imposed on many different kinds of timber, such as rough, sawn, or hewn timber
of most kinds of hard wood, unhewn red wood and white wood, and small beams
and rafters, while boards and deals of red wood or white wood went free of duty.
Most of these export-duties were removed in 1857 and ceased entirely on the
introduction of the customs’ tariff of 1863.
As the foreign demand was principally for sawn timber, the Saw-mill
industry in Sweden was given a new importance. It is not known with certainty
when the first saw-mills were erected in our country; this may possibly have
been done as far back as the Middle Ages. It is certain, however, both that
there have been water-power saw-mills in use in this country for several
centuries and, on the other hand, that it was not until during the nineteenth century
that the saw-mill industry became a genuine branch of trade. The initiative
was taken by some prominent Gothenburg merchants, some of whom were of
British birth and, through their connections, familiar with the steadily
increasing demands of English industries for wood. In the decennium 1841—50
vast forests were bought, first in Värmland and Dalsland, afterwards in
Norrland, and large water-mills with several saw-frames were built. These saw-milk
were mostly situated by some water-fall in proximity to the coast, but the
fact that they could not be built close to the sea-shore proved a disadvantage;
for, before the sawn timber could be shipped, it had either to be carted
overland or towed in barges to the sea-port, which was rather expensive, or else it
had to be floated, which, on the other hand, caused a deterioration in the
appearance and quality of the timber. In this respect, the establishment of steam
saw-mills on the sea-coast produced a complete revolution, whereby essential
advantages were gained. By locating the saw-mills on the coast, the former
long transport of the timber from the saw-mill to the port was saved; further
more, the use of steam-power in the saw-mills brought about a greater productive
capacity, finer product, and freedom from the obstacles to the steady run of
the works arising from ice in winter and lack of water in summer. The first
steam saw-mill in Sweden was built in 1851 at Vivsta, near Sundsvall; next
in order were Sandö and Kramfors, both in Ångermanland (1852). During the
years 1851 — 60 and especially during 1861 — 70, the number of steam saw-mills
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