G8 
The Middleman in Agriculture. 
The same thing applies with even greater force to the retail 
sale of flour, this product being generally sold in 3 lb. or 4 lb. 
packets, at a price far greater in excess of its prime cost than 
bread. According to Mr. Francis, the 3 lb. packet of best seconds 
flour wa s being sold a year ago at 7 d., when the price of bread was 
6d., and a 3 lb. packet of the best fine flour was being sold at 8 d. 
The cost to the baker of the 3 lb. of flour would be only a little 
over 4 d., so that upon every 3 lb. of flour which the baker sold he 
would get a profit of something like 3 d. It is worth remark in 
this connection that flour is, as a rule, only obtainable by ordi- 
nary customers through the baker, and Mr. Francis states that 
the millers are boycotted by the Bakers’ Association if they 
supply small quantities direct to consumers. 
Attention was recently directed in the pages of the National 
Review, by Lord Stanley of Alderley, to the fact that down to 
within quite recent times the Statute Book contained powers 
for fixing the price of bread. An Act of George II., which was 
only repealed in 1867, was entitled “ An Act for the due making 
of bread and to regulate the price and assize thereof, and to 
punish pei'sous' who shall adulterate meal, flour, or bread.” It 
set forth that to the intent that a “ plain and constant rule and 
method may be duly observed and kept in the making and assize- 
ing of several sorts of bread, which shall be made for sale,” 
properly constituted courts were empowered “ to set, ascertain, 
and appoint in any place or places within their respective 
jurisdictions the assize and weight of all sorts of bread, which 
should in any such place or places be made for sale or exposed 
to sale, and the price to be paid for the same respectively.” 
In every assize of bread respect was to be had to the price 
which the grain, meal, or flour whereof such bread was made 
should bear in the public market or markets in or near the 
place where such assize was set, and reasonable allowance was 
to be made to the makers of bread for their “ charges, labour, 
pains, livelihood, and profit.” The Act also contained provisions 
as to the quality of bread where an assize was set. An assize 
might be set by two or more justices within their jurisdiction, 
and they were to consult the returns made by clerks of neigh- 
bouring markets of the grain, meal, or flour. The bakers might 
see the returns the clay after they were made, so as to have 
time to object to the advance or reduction of prices before the 
assize was set. The baker was not liable for any fees, and no 
alteration was to be made in the assize of bread, unless the price 
of wheat, as set forth in the returns, varied 3 d. in the bushel. 
Twenty years ago the idea of reverting except in jest to 
this Act, as a possible precedent for guidance nowadays, would 
