Gösta Bagge's American lessons

Abstract

Gösta Bagge, then 21 years of age, took his fil.kand. (first degree) examination at Uppsala University in January 1904. He travelled to the United States in the autumn of the same year to undertake research studies in political economy, history and political science at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. That the choice fell on Johns Hopkins was due primarily to his having a sister who lived in the city.¹     

Politics and economic theory in allied planning for peace, 1944–1945

Abstract

At the beginning of June 1919, a member of the British Delegation at the Paris Peace Conference, the young John Maynard Keynes, gave up hope of anyone listening to his views which were based on economic theory, or to his call for a sensible revision of the peace terms.     

Norwegian clergy

Abstract

The purpose of this important book is, in the words of the author, 'to throw light on the Norwegian clergy as a social group' in nineteenth century Norway. Dr. Mannsaker emphasizes that, as implied by the local and temporal definition of his subject, his approach is historical rather than sociological or demographic. This means that he is interested not primarily in the most general aspects of his subject, but in those which are peculiar to conditions in Norway in the historical period under consideration.     

Comment

Abstract

When I started the study which has been discussed in the preceding review, advertisements for an assistant were put into Le Monde and The Economist. There were about one hundred applicants, of which ten were selected for personal interview. One of them was Dr. William N. Parker who was at that time in the Ruhr, working on a study of the German steel industry. I have often said and I repeat it now, after having read his review of my book, that one of the greatest mistakes I have made was not to engage Dr. Parker as a member of my small research team. I am very gratified that he, nevertheless, has taken the trouble to penetrate so deeply into my study.     

SEHR & IEHA — the early years

Abstract

In January 1952, Professor Astrid Friis asked me to accompany her and our colleague Aksel E Christensen to Stockholm for the inaugural meeting of a closed circle of Nordic historians who had set themselves the task of publishing an English-language journal of economic history. The meeting was arranged by Professor Ernst Söderlund. By way of introduction he brought us greetings from Eli F Heckscher, who by his work and debating ability had done more than anyone else to create respect for the subject of economic history in Sweden, and whose name was also renowned internationally thanks in part to his book on mercantilism. His latest achievement was the second volume of his mammoth work of Swedish economic history. Heckscher was in hospital at the time and died shortly afterwards. Thus it came about that the torch was passed on, but still it was clear that the Heckscher era was ebbing to its close.     

Recollections of My Career

Editorial Note:Professor Sumitro Djojohadilcusomo is one of the principal architects of Indonesia's post-independence economic policy. He has held key economic portfolios in both the immediate post-independence era and in the New Order. In addition, as Professor of Economics at the University of Indonesia, and as a tireless lecturer and writer on economic issues, he has been instrumental in shaping the education of several generations of economics students in Indonesia, many of whom are now in key government positions. At the end of August, Professor Sumitro generously agreed to be interviewed on his long career by two members of the BIES editorial board, Anne Booth and Thee Kian Wie. In preparing this interview for publication, the editors have tried to preserve Professor Sumilro's own words to the greatest extent possible; his lucid and entertaining remarks are thus reproduced with a minimum of editing. The interview began with a question to Professor Sumitro about his early training in economies.     

Reflections on Economic Policy Making: 1945–51

Editorial Note:Mohammad Saubari was Secretary-General of the Department of Finance in the early 1950s. After his suspension from the civil service during the Guided Democracy years, he worked for several United Nations agencies in Indonesia. The following note, is based on his comments on the Indonesian translation of the interview with Professor Sumitro (Sumitro 1986), which were published in Kompas earlier this year, on his contribution to a commemorative volume published to honour Sjafruddin Prawiranegara in 1986, and on an interview which he gave to Anne Booth and Thee Kian-Wie in Jakarta in May 1987.     

Gyōki as a Religious Entrepreneur: An Activist Who Linked Development and Buddhism,the Public and Private Sectors*

Abstract

This paper aims to clarify managerial aspects of a Buddhist monk who was successful in recruiting commoners for the construction works in Nara Period (712–784). He is well known for his contribution to the construction of Great Bronze Buddha at Toudaizi Temple in Nara. Gyouki/Gyougi (668–749) was a Buddhist priest, born in Kawati Province, as a descendant of Wang In who came from Paekche. Gyouki’s religious enterprise is characterised by Buddhist activity of merit making with definite purpose, plan, and management for the common people. It was based on altruism of deeds, such as donation of field, money and labour by the community of believers who were willing to offer. His community was engaged in the construction works of roads and bridges, nourishment to the patients, and benevolence to the poor and the suffered. From the management perspectives, Gyouki carried the ball by himself, but organised his projects which were supported by voluntary associations. It was a project based enterprise of men and women, but also assisted by the craftsmen’s groups of Korean descent.     

The rise af savings banks in Schleswig

Abstract

This survey of the history of the North Schleswig savings banks is published in connection with the 150th anniversary of the foundation of Senderborg Bys Sparekasse, Thanks to his connection with the province concerned and his earlier academic work.¹ the author is well qualified for a task demanding extensive knowledge and understanding of the special conditions of North Schleswig.     

The Danish agrarian reforms, 1784–1814, and the historians

Abstract

In 1888, Edvard Holm brought out his still much-cited book, Kampen om Landboreformeme i Danmark.¹ By his title, the “conflict over the agrarian reforms”, Holm meant the clash of opinion which preceded and contributed to the reforms initiated under Crown Prince Frederik's de facto regency, beginning in 1784. But the debate begun by Danish landowners, officials, and opinion-makers did not end with the reform era itself. It was continued by Danish historians, who have pursued it with remarkable intensity and no small passion down to the present day.     

New light on eighteenth century Sweden

Abstract

The second part of the late Professor Eli F. Heckscher's Economic History of Sweden,¹ with its 894 pages of text, together with notes, tables, diagrams, maps and index, is a large work even by comparison with the first part, which, in 707 pages of text, covered both the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In his introduction the author regrets that he was unable to retain the same clarity of layout. In fact, however, too concentrated an exposition would not have rendered justice to the astonishing research and the intensive thought, which have gone into the making of this book, and Heckscher's ability to capture the reader's attention by his lucidity of style and accessible presentation of his subject-matter is here shown to full advantage.²     

Sweden's iron ore exports to Germany, 1933–1944

Abstract

Rolf Karlbom's article about Swedish iron ore exports to Germany during the Nazi era¹ is an attempt to examine a very important problem as yet unsolved—the significance of the Swedish ore deliveries to Germany. His study begins with the following two questions:² 1. ‘How much of the total consumption of this raw material by German industry did Swedish ore cover during these years?’

2. ‘How far was access to Swedish iron ore a sine qua non for the continuance of the armaments programme?’

3. These basic questions indicate the main problems. Karlbom's answers to them are not wholly convincing because of some weaknesses in his approach.

     

Earldoms and baronies as economic enterprises in seventeenth century Finland

Abstract

In his comprehensive monograph of nearly eight hundred pages, the first volume of which was published as an academic dissertation six years ago, Professor Jokipii has undertaken to give an account of the brief history of Finnish earldoms and baronies. With two exceptions these twenty-nine large-scale fiefs lasted in all only a quarter of a century (the third quarter of the seventeenth century). Nevertheless, they made their mark on the later development of Finland.     

A finnish textbook in economic history

Abstract

There is, to my knowledge, no work exactly corresponding to Professor Jutikkala's in any of the major languages. Uudenajan taloushistoria is a comprehensive and very skilful exposition of the economic development of the modern world and certainly much more than simply a good textbook in which material from generally recognized standard works, partial surveys, and particular investigations is brought together and rearranged. However much Professor jutikkala may have drawn upon the available modern literature, upon the writings of Heckscher, Clapham, Cole, Ashton, Ashley, Sombart, and other authorities, his book is stamped first and foremost by his own great familiarity with the vast field of his subject, by his own research and experience-especially in the field of agrarian and social history—and by his great versatility as a scholar. The author is not simply a historian with an economic training; he is also very conscious of the fact that economic development never occurs in society in forms which allow of a purely economic exposition. His method is—to     

Prices and industrial transformation

Abstract

One of the contradictions of neo-classical economic theory concerns its view of relative prices. On the one hand it is relative prices that determine the market's equilibrium position and decide what transactions will take place. On the other hand, the pattern of relative prices, or expressed differently the price structure, has been regarded as more or less immutable. Variations in relative prices have been considered short-term phenomena, after which, in time, an adaptation has taken place which has restored the initial situation. The same line of thought was also held by Wesley Mitchell, who in the dispersion of relative prices found a reflection of business cycles, but he maintained that the price system is “yet stable in the essential balance of its interrelations”.¹ F.C. Mills cited Mitchell as his authority in his comprehensive work The Behavior of Prices, and although he felt compelled to raise objections to the inference that relative prices varied rhythmically with the business cycle, he still considered that there was a limit to change in relative prices, i.e. the price structure had a fundamental stability.²     

A theorist on basic questions of economic history

Abstract

The author of this slim, essay-like book—now translated into Swedish¹—s-is a leading economic theoretician, noted for his contribution to the development of Keynesian theory and to the theory of the short-run dynamics of the trade cycle, as well as to modem theory of macro-economic growth. He is, however, known to a generation of modern economists above all as a ‘market’ theorist within the Walrasian tradition. In the present book he abandons his role as a strict market theorist, concerned with such things as the ‘existence’ and ‘stability’ of market equilibria, and attempts to explain the historical emergence and development of the market system or economy as an institution or set of institutions. He disarmingly forfeits any claims to expertise on this topic, and I think wisely so; but he is far from being altogether a layman or a newcomer to economic history. He professes an early love of the subject, and although it was a romance that never resulted in marriage, he has, through constant association with leading British economic historians and through his own writings in the history of economic thought, preserved and developed some of the faculties of a historian. Yet, this book-as its title indicates-is essentially theoretical. Hicks develops a set of interpretative hypotheses mainly by a priori reasoning. The empirical references must be looked upon more as illustrations of his theses than as evidence in support of their empirical validity.     

In defence of Heckscher and the idea of Mercantilism

Abstract

In his recent reappraisal of Heckscher's Mercantilism ² Dr. Coleman raised certain questions concerning Heckscher's methodological approach which transcend the immediate problem of the nature and validity of the idea of ‘mercantilism’ and have a bearing upon the broader issue of the relationships between economic conditions, ideas and policy. To the present writer, the danger that Heckscher's development of the idea of mercantilism will drive yet another wedge between the political and the economic historians as Dr. Coleman fears,³ is less serious than the danger that Heckscher's apparent reluctance to admit the influence of economic conditions upon economic ideas,⁴ and his readiness to pass directly from generalizations about economic ideas to generalizations about economic policy, will widen the existing gap between economic historians and historians of economic doctrine, two groups of scholars whose mutual services should be considerable. To the student of economic ideas who seeks to rescue his discipline from the sterile pursuit of tracing the genealogy of particular analytic propositions, of which some of his colleagues seem inordinately fond, the matter is one of crucial importance.     

Joseph Schumpeter in Sweden

Abstract

Different aspects of Schumpeter's relationship with Sweden are explored in this article. Schumpeter visited Sweden a few times in the inter-war period in his capacity of well-known economist. During World War I he also wished to go to Sweden to gather information that would be of assistance to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Schumpeter refered occasionally to Sweden in his writings, usually as a symbol for socialism and as a threat to capitalism. However, he failed to recognise that Sweden also had a vigorous tradition of entrepreneurship, as exemplified by the Wallenberg family and the Rausings. Schumpeter's view of Swedish economists is also discussed, as is the extent to which Swedish economists have been influenced by Schumpeter.     

Scandinavian economic history review the first ten years — A personal memoir

Abstract

Together with my good friend and LSE colleague, the late Donald Coleman, I was Assistant English Editor of the Scandinavian Economic History Review from 1952, when the work first started, to the tenth number which appeared in 1962 and was a Festschrift to Ernst Söderlund. Our association with the Review sprang above all from Söderlund's insistence, strongly endorsed by all his co-editors, that the Review should appear in well written English, not in Svenklish. Of course, since both Donald and I were economic historians, though specialising in very different fields, we were able to advise on academic questions relating to the subject matter as well as with linguistic niceties.     

Svenskt arbete och liv

Abstract

Among Eli F. Heckscher's works on economic history, his Merkantilismen (first published in Swedish, 1931) and Sveriges ekonomiska historia från Gustav Vasa (1935-50) are the most significant.