Petrović, Nikola: Hajózás és gazdálkodás a Közép-Duna-Medencében a merkantilizmus korában (Vajdasági Tudományos és Művészeti Akadémia, Novi Sad - Történelmi Intézet, Beograd, 1982)

Summary

buyers. Muc more important was the company's demand that, to

ensure the profitability of the canal, it should be guaranteed an export of at least one million bushels (42 000 metric tons) of grain on the open market. Below this figure, the canal would loose its purpose and cease to be an attractive venture for shareholders. (The capital for its construction would be raised by means of a special stock.)

All the authorities and trade organizations were against this demand. The Hungarian Chamber thought that a guarantee of the physical volume of export should be granted, but not a monopoly on the grain trade as a whole. Equal rights should be given to any exporter or producer.

The central Viennese authorities did not agree with this proposal. Finally it was decided to guarantee the company an export of 150 000 bushels of wheat and 50 000 bushels of oats, i.e. more of the former because „the common people" did not consume wheat due to its higher price.

Bitter disputes arose over the matter of the conditions and rights of use of the canal and the shipping rates. The company agreed that everybody had the right to use the canal and his own vessels, but that he had to employ the company horses and horse—leaders and pay a tax of 20 kreuzers per bushel of grain or centner of other goods, both on the upstream and on the downstream route. For the use of the land roads, a toll of 3 kreuzers per horse or a pair of oxen was asked, both ways. Finally, a tex of 1.5 kreuzer per head was asked for cattle driven by roead.

After an exhaustive debate it was decided that the concession for the canalized Kupa and the ruoad to the Adriatic would be granted for a period of 30 years, and that the state retain the rigtt to buy out this right after its expiry.

Considering the fact that the new traffic route could not function well unless the Pannonian rivers were kept in good navigable order, the company proposed to take this task on for an annual compensation of 350 000 forints from the state and free use of all unpaid labour allocated ffor this purpose.

Moreover, the company offered to lend the required urn tm the state, under the condition that when the state of emergency caused by the Napoleonic Wars came to an end, the state would refund this loan in 50 000 forint installments, at 5 pet interest. This too was accepted.

So far as the work on the Karlovac—Brod canal is concerned, the author has not been able to unearth nearly as much information as for the Danube—Tisa canal. Nevertheless, from the few documents available, it may be concluded that preparations began as early as 1796, and that by 1798 they were in a full swing. It is also clear that the feudal administration of Ozalj, with its lord, the famous Hungarian magnate, Count Todor Batyanyi,

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