A TRAVELLER AT BERLIN. 121 



they are always far better off than the inhabitants of the 

 other cities of Germany. For a ftack of wood, which, 

 according to the admeafurement here in ufe, amounts 

 to about as much as five faxon fathoms, cofts much lefs ; 

 as the price of one fuch Hack is, fince this regulation 

 took place, even in the depth of winter, never above 

 eighteen, or at moft twenty dollars, and at prefent even 

 no more than fixteen dollars and eight grofches. The 

 whole matter Hands thus. Formerly the wood trade was 

 entirely free at all feafons of the year ; every peafant 

 might cut wood where, when, and in what quantity, 

 he chofe, bring it to town, and there difpofe of it. 

 Rich people, who could afford to pay for a whole ftack 

 at once, found their advantage in this method ; they 

 bought it of the boors themfelves, and always got it 

 very cheap. So much the worfe however fared the 

 poor ; for, as the peafants were obliged foon to return 

 back from the city, and could not wait to difpofe of 

 the fmaller parcels : people were not wanting who took 

 what remained off their hands, and fold it only to the 

 poor, at very exorbitant prices, who thus were forced 

 to pay for their wood three or four times as much as 

 the rich. In the feven years war this abufe had reached 

 its height ; fo that a number of unfeeling wretches got 

 their livelihood by purfuing this infamous trade, On 

 the king's return to Berlin, and being informed of the 

 diforder, he bethought himfelf of the means for reme- 

 dying it. What appeared to him the heft, he inftantly 

 adopted. He transferred the whole trade in fire^wood 

 to a company, who bound themfelves to procure the 

 necefTary quantity, and to fell it, in large and fmall 

 parcels, at one equal price. Hence, doubtlefs, a mo- 

 nopoly 



