The urge to regulate

Reader comment on: An Old Story

Submitted by John Gorentz (United States), Jan 7, 2012 01:43

The urge to regulate is as much a factor of human existence as is the urge to procreate.

It's interesting that that item appeared in 1850. I think Britain was already well into a liberal reform movement by then. For example, I think it was in the 1830s that it loosened the regulations on starch manufacture. I happened to get interested in because of a bike ride last summer. It's a long story best explained by the article on my blog at http://www.spokesrider.com/2011/11/06/helm-road/ ("The House that Starch Built?")

Before the laws were liberalized, there were even regulations as to how the strings around packages of dried starch should be tied. And there was bureaucratic paperwork like you wouldn't believe, even today.

But things changed.

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