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Post by malika on Feb 12, 2004 4:53:56 GMT -5
This is what Im curious about, Im mean there is a merchant fleet, but would all the product belong to the Imperium (kinda like communism) or is there free trade?
That there are multi-planetarian companies which trade, produce their products (kinda like those companies in the movie Alien)?
Or would there be companies, but they all belong to the Imperium?
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Post by Kage2020 on Feb 12, 2004 8:52:49 GMT -5
This has been discussed at some length elsewhere. Free trade does exist within the Imperium and therefore the Anargo sector. Indeed, the type of low-level prestige trade that goes on is carried out by the Civil Fleet... ...Quick working definitions: The Merchant Fleet is engaged in 'tithe redistribution' and key movement of goods; the Civil Fleet is engaged in 'private' activity including trade... It is, of course, possible for the Merchant Fleet to be engaged in low-scale trade as well. Indeed, was it not common that in merchanters it was possible for the crew to engage in certain low-level speculatory trade themselves (i.e. transporting one good to their next port of call, and so on). The Civil Fleet is registered within a given segmentum and, more, to a given sector, whether they are engaged in trade or not. Movement out of the registry volume is not permitted... Ships engaged in trade do so on a limited, time-based charter. Given the expense and difficulty of acquiring the abilities of a Navigator (it is generally not something that a 'private shipowner' can afford), any such temporary charters will restrict the distance that one can travel. (E.g. not only are they restricted in their movement on the large-scale, but with the vagaries of warp/real space time movement, i's not something that you're going to risk.) And the problems of engaging in trade outside of the charter? Well, that's smuggling and/or piracy! With reference to the presence of companies, that is also a possibility but one that is more akin to the type of 'company' that was present in the 17th/18th century of Britain: limited shareholders who provided the entire capital and reaped the profits (with suitable taxation depending on the nature of the good). So, the companies are independent but, again, the Emperor technically owns everyone, even their 'immortal souls'... A very brief and confused answer, but I'm working simultaneously on this while trying to get some work done on agriculatural change during the 18th century and the escape from Malthus' trap!  Kage |
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