thus discharged of their debt. However, some private creditors still had to be paid back and, from 1743 until 1750, the State consecrated a part of the profit of the forges to finally move on from the economic legacy of the previous owners. Even though they had taken over, official authorities still hoped to find a private company to buy the forges back. As a result, the State administered the forges on an interim basis, refusing to invest any more than the required minimum. No major change was thus implemented until 1747, when a fire destroyed the lower forge, forcing the government to pay for its reconstruction. On this occasion, a martinet was added to the infrastructure. French authorities also sent two French molders who knew how to cast artillery to Saint Maurice. This new technology and those skilled men enabled the diversification of the production. Manufactured domestic goods could now be produced and were sold on the colonial market. The forges were reoriented toward military production but never succeeded in casting good pieces of heavy artillery. Until 1749, the forges made good profit. This success might have been the result of a cautious management; government officials did not have to worry about paying back loans to the State like previous owners did, and thus could take wiser decisions. Furthermore, more than half of the products were exported to France at high prices with the government imposing beneficial tariffs. By 1749, this prosperity reversed and the forges experienced years of deficit. Expensive repairs could not be delayed any longer and French imports increased competition on the market, causing a drop in iron prices. Furthermore, epidemics among workers spread and prevented them from working as efficiently as they did before. "Labour at St. Maurice was in general dissatisfied, incompetent or insubordinate." By 1752, labor issues caused multiple interruptions in the work. As workers grew older, no young generation wanted to replace them. Men had enough work on their farm or on the fur trade to be interested by industrial employment. This shortage compelled the State to pay high wages for bad quality work to the few remaining employees. To try to manage the situation, the State hired soldiers to work in the forges. Even though the solution was not perfect, it contributed to a notable peak in the production in 1752, which became the most fructuous year of the exploitation. Despite