Re: Salt
In France, in the 17th and 18th century, salt was a royal monopoly, licensed to the king's favorite in each region (for a healthy franchise fee), and sold for high prices. They were high enough, in fact, so that peasants (largely women, I believe) were hired to carry it from region to region for black market sales. And the penalty if you were caught was breaking on the wheel.
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Bill Stoddard
I don't think we're in Oz any more.
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