France. Contrôleur Général de Commerce.

Beginning in the early 17th century the French government offered direct aid to manufacturing as a way to stimulate production. This assistance took the form of subsidies, tax exemptions, grants of monopolies, loans, and patents of royal manufactories. Textiles, glass making, and iron manufacturing were thus heavily subsidized. The office of Contrôleur Général de Commerce was the vehicle that the king used in order to encourage manufacturing. The climax of the system of French economic statism was reached during the administration of Jean Baptise Colbert (1619-1683).

By the 18th century many economists began to believe that French industry was too heavily regulated and this was adversely affecting economic growth. The Physiocrats became advocates of a new economic theory of laissez-faire. During the 1770s and 1780s Necker and Turgot attempted to deregulate French industry but the guilds who had a vested interest in the Colbert system resisted.

From the description of Records relating to government support for iron and glass manufacturing, 1774-1789. (Hagley Museum & Library). WorldCat record id: 122457545