The markets of the Colony had been opened to importation at the beginning of 1815, and apparently at that time, or more likely before that time, the placing of a maximum price on imported goods came to an end.[1] But when there were no longer any Government regulations the magistrates controlled in many ways the price of goods on the market. Thus they ordered a shoemaker brought before them to sell boots at the reasonable price of 10s. instead of the exorbitant cost of 25s. Butchers and bakers had both to take out licenses and to conform to a fixed scale of prices. Hawkers also had to take out licenses, but that was for reasons of order and policy rather than anything else, for servants assigned to the lower officials of Government or poorer settlers, escaped prisoners, ticket-of-leave men and all the disorderly characters in the settlement, made a pretence of hawking goods to cover every sort of fraud and knavery. To prevent this the hawker's license was placed at the high price of £20 a year, and the applicant had to produce a certificate as to character before getting it. These regulations were only issued in 1818, and their effect cannot be computed, for there are not any means of knowing whether the conditions were strictly enforced.[2]
The business population was almost entirely engaged in trading, and there was but one factory owned by a private individual in the whole Colony. That was the establishment of Simeon Lord, where cloth, hats, blankets and stockings were manufactured. But on many estates home industries were carried on, and in the Government labour yard many articles were made by the convicts. The colonial-made goods, however, were still so costly that it was more economical to buy imported wares.
All imports save those of British manufacture were subject to duties, but these might often be evaded. The masters and officers of the convict transports, for example, made a practice of bringing trade adventures of all kinds. Sometimes they brought
- ↑ G.G.O., 31st December, 1814. There is a passage in D. 74, 24th July, 1816, C.O., MS., from Lord Bathurst which implies that the prices were still fixed; but that is an error of the Secretary of State.
- ↑ Proclamation, 2nd May, 1818. In connection with this subject of trading facilities attention may be called to a curious monopoly created by Macquarie by G.G.O., 7th June, 1816. A merchant of Hobart Town fitted out a vessel which circumnavigated Van Diemen's Land and discovered Macquarie's Harbour and Port Davey. As a reward Macquarie gave him the monopoly of trading to both these ports, at which there were no settlements, for twelve months.
