238 Mineral Trades 



ness; consumers were required to buy directly from the wharves; 

 forestaUing and engrossing were prohibited under pain of forfeiture.^ 

 But it appears that by 1553 "Fuel, Coels and Wood" ran "many 

 Times through four or five several Hands or more, before it" came 

 "to the Hands of them that for their Necessity" did "burn or retail 

 the same." Accordingly, in conjunction with the Assize of Fuel 

 fixed that year, it was enacted that none should buy fuel except those 

 who expected to burn or retail it to those who were to burn it.- A 

 century later Charles II revived this sort of legislation and empow- 

 ered the officiary of London and the justices of the counties to set 

 prices on all such coals as were sold by retail, as they from time to 

 time judged reasonable, allowing a competent profit to the retailer. 

 In case the retailer refused to sell at the prescribed prices the coals 

 could be seized and sold by the officers.^ This policy was made per- 

 petual and extended by statutes under William III and George II. ■* 

 They were never effectually executed. 



Conclusions. 



The coal trade differed from the other trades in having both the 

 production and consumption of its ware localized. It was produced 

 in one place and consumed in one place far distant. Consequently 

 the trade took one direction and the organization was simple, being a 

 direct series of sequences and agents. There was no process of manu- 

 facturing; the ware passed with no transformation in form or composi- 

 tion from producer to consumer. For this reason all accessor}^ and 

 adventitious middlemen were eliminated, and the complexity of rela- 

 tions that affected the organization of some other trades was entirely 

 absent. 



The simplicity of this business technique consisted in its straightfor- 

 ward succession of independent middlemen. In the home trade coal 

 passed from producer through fitter to the travelling merchant ship- 

 master; he disposed of it through crimp Lo first buyer, and first buyer 

 to retailer. Each business was unusually clear-cut and differentiated. 

 Indeed this almost total lack of integration is easily the most salient 

 characteristic of the trade. Only at the London end did there appear 

 any tendency to integrate businesses, and this never attained a degree 



^ Hazlitt, Lon. Com., 151-2. 



2 7 Edw. VI, Cap. 7. 



3 6 and 7 Chas. II, Cap. 2, Sec. 1. 



' 7 and 8 Wm. Ill, Cap. Mr, Sec. 2; 17 Geo. II, Cap. 35. 



