570 
is reduced, a simultaneous and. 
exactly corresponding decrease in 
the price of bread, prevents the 
bakers from deriving the smallest 
advantage by it; but if it is rais- 
ed, then a similar increase on the 
price of bread prevents them from 
being exposed to the smallest 
loss; equally whether the price is 
low or high they obtain 14s. 1d. 
per sack for their expences in 
baking and if 80 quarten loaves 
was the precise quantity of bread 
they could at all times make from 
a sack of flour, they would have 
no interest whatever in its gene- 
ral price either one way or ano- 
ther ; but the surplus bread what- 
ever may be its amount, which 
they can make above that quan- 
tity (and it is stated by various 
persons to average from two. to 
four loaves,) is to them a profit, 
in kind, the value of which must 
necessarily increase with the price 
of bread; and as the high price 
of flour which occasions this in- 
crease, is in no other respect dis- 
advantageous to the bakers, they 
have as far as it goes an obvious 
interest in the high price of flour ; 
and itis. to the operation of this 
principle which your Committee 
attribute the indifference about 
the price as well as the anxiety 
about the quality of flour, for the 
best flour will always make more 
bread as well as whiter bread; 
and where the price by the assize 
is uniform, the seller has no mode 
of seeking for better custom but 
by offering a whiter loaf than his 
neighbour. 
With regard to the sellers of 
flour’ your Committee find that 
they are eager to dispose of it at 
the high prices returned to. the 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
Lord Mayor; but that in order 
to do so, it seems they must be, 
content to sell on long and doubt- 
ful credit, and many of them have 
recourse to becoming proprietors 
of bakehouses, and carrying on 
the baking trade on their own ac-; 
count by means of journeymen,’ 
to obtain leases of bakers’ houses, 
encouraging journeymen to set 
up for themselves, and to giving 
large sums for the good-will of 
bakers’ houses. The frequency of 
these practices has in some mea- 
sure divided the trade, as those 
who incur the risks attendant: 
thereon expect and obtain the 
high price which they agree 
amongst one another to charge 
for flour, whilst others who sell 
for money in a regular way are 
contented with a lower price, and 
latterly it has led to the establish- 
ment of numerous shops in which, 
bread is sold below the assize, 
price; and your Committee are 
informed that these shops are 
enabled to go on. chiefly by the, 
low price at which flour is to be 
bought by persons with capital, 
though some of them appear to 
derive advantage from selling for 
ready money only. 
And your Committee beg leave 
to point out, that the high pri- 
ces which are returned to the 
Cocket-office, are further influ-, 
enced by the following circum- 
stances: 
Ist. That it is the practice of. 
some. bakers to return their pur- 
chases of flour at a full credit, 
price, though they subsequently 
obtain an allowance for prompt, 
payment in the shape of dis- 
count. ; 
2dly. that. much, flour is. re- 
