Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1940, Page 93

ECONOMIC FELLOWSHIP
§7
complete as intended, “over-sawing”, i. e. sawing more than the
allowed quota, being an every-day occurrence. Still the influence
of the restrictions was by no means quite negligible.
After 1809 the fate of the restrictions was somewhat different
in Sweden and in Finland. In both countries the system seems at
first to have been applied with about the same vigour or lack of
vigour as before, but later on it was relaxed in Sweden, and the
most objectionable part of the system, the fixation of the timber
quantities to be worked up at every mill, was dropped in 1842.
The remaining restrictions were repealed somewhat later, but they
were of quite secondary importance. In Finland on the other hand
the quota system was retained till 1861, and during the last time
of its existence an attempt was even made to provide a more
stringent control of its working than before.
But in spite of a number of unfavourable influences, to a. con-
siderable extent more or less connected with the separation of
1809, Finland in the end succeeded in building up a very efficient
mechanism of production, not only in those branches of industry
which are based on the immense forest resources of the country,
but in other lines as well. It is a striking fact that during the last
phase of the Russian dominion, before the four-year war, indu-
strialization in Finland proceeded very rapidly, and at the close
of the period Finnish exports of sawn goods were not very much
less than those of Sweden. There was, to be sure, some margín
but it had been narrowed very considerably and ultimately, in
the post-war period, Sweden definitely lost her leadership.
This rapid advance of industry took place at a time when
Russia had embarked upon a policy of assimilating Finland cc
the Russian empire, a policy which involved severe oppression
and created a considerable amount of insecurity, in the economic
field no less than in the political. It testifies well to the skill and
efficiency of the Finnish business leaders that they were able to
bring about such a rapid industrial progress in spite of political
difficulties from which their chief competitors in the other
Northern countries or elsewhere were more or less exempt.
The war years created fresh difficulties to Finland. Exports
suffered heavily and at the same time the country was once more
drawn into the currency troubles of Russia. Finland was com-
pelled to lend financial assistance to Russia in a way which in-
volved very serious disturbance of the Finnish monetary system.
Moreover the liberation from the Russian dominion in 1917 was