Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - X. Internal Communications - 3. Country Roads. By C. E. Gyllenberg
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
country roads.
631
the people in the neighbourhood of the inn (so-called reserve post). In 1727,
an endeavour was made to get the uneven distribution of this burden equalized
by agreements entered into at the assizes by means of so-called "post-relays",
which had to divide the duties within their districts according to settled principles.
In general, the posting charges were, no doubt, too small a remuneration for the
trouble of keeping post-horses, for which reason the discontent and complaints never
ceased. At last, in 1810, the work was let by contract when possible; horses were
to be held in readiness against a higher rate of payment and with the aid
of a public grant. As a rule, the innkeeper himself, or a peasant living in the
near vicinity of the inn, became the contractor; but when the number of horses
he had undertaken to keep had been taken, the obligation of the farm-owners
to provide reserve horses when wanted was once more enforced.
By the Statute of 1878 on posting, the land has been nearly entirely
relieved from the above-mentioned "burden". The hire per mile is fixed
for each län by the Government on the proposal of the Governor and the
County Council, but if, at the auction, the lowest amount for which
a solvent contractor will undertake to keep post-horses prove to exceed
the hire, the State pays half (in certain cases somewhat more) and the
County Council grants the rest, which latter contribution is laid not
only on the landed property that formerly had to bear the posting
burden alone, but also on other property or income. However, by
lowering, or refusing to grant, the contract contribution demanded, when it is
thought too high, the County Council can compel a return to the old
system of reserve post. Further, the law in question annulled a great
many dispensations from the duty of assisting in the maintenance of the
posting service that had been granted to several kinds of farms, benefices,
and official posts. Nevertheless, the obligation still partly remains of
transport for the Crown against a stipulated payment, differing in times
of war from that given in times of peace, and varying also for different
kinds of farms. However, nowadays this burden is imposed only
exceptionally, as the very numerous railway lines of Sweden render less and
less the necessity of posting, both for private people and still more for
military purposes. — Of the decrease in public posting, the figures below
bear witness; they show the annual number of post-horses sent out during
the quinquennial periods, 1856—1910:
During the last period, the number has increased again. The cause
of the decrease is, in several places, probably the high posting rates, in
consequence of which it sometimes proves cheaper to hire private
conveyances.
Of the 1 512 posting-stations that existed in 1910, the posting was carried
out at 1 376, or 91’« % of the whole, by being let to contractors. In 1880 the
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
1896—00 .......... 316 212
1901—05 .......... 359 015
1906—10 .......... 403 409
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
