Den stora ölkartellen : Branschorganisering och kartellbildning i bryggeriindustrin 1885-1914

Sammanfattning: This dissertation deals with the different functions of the Swedish Brewers Association: political defence against reductions in the free trade in beer and taxation of the brewing industry, defence against strikes and boycotts, and the making of a nation-wide cartel. The breakthroug of temperance ideology, the fiscal needs of the state and the growth of the socialist labour movement threatened the property interests of the brewing industry. The institutional changes that meant the end of laissez-faire for the brewing industry led to organisational development in the Association. The development aimed at making political influence more effective and the instrument was a control organisation. During the 1890s several attempts were made to form a nation-wide cartel. It failed because the Association tried to optimise contracts and because of an ineffective organisation. When the organisation had developed into a bureaucratic control organisation, with employed officers and a powerful executive committe, the formation of the cartel succeeded in 1905-06, not least because of a "learning by doing process". However, cartelisation was difficult to accomplish and it took three years to recruit the main portion of the breweries, which meant 193 members in 1908. A period of 17 years elapsed between the first attempt to form a nation-wide cartel and 1908. Thereafter the cartel remained in effect until 1956. The development of Brewers Association into a control organisation was necessary for successful cartelisation, not least because many brewers did not dare to join a cartel which lacked possibilities of enforcement. The main purpose with the cartel was political. Through control of the market the Brewers Association believed that self-regulation would prevent further reductions in the free trade in beer. The study is primarily based on the records of the Brewers Association wich made it possible to follow its discussions in detail.