A Committee of the House ...
A Committee of the House of Commons has been lately appointed to consider the " allowances granited to balkers " by Ss Geo. III. in those places wvhcre an ascize of bread " is sit, and to report their observations thercon to the " House." That the Committee may have " considered" the said allowances, ve are bound to presuinm, because they were appointed for that particular duty; but as for reporting their " observations" on the subject, all the account they gave of themselves isj that " they have examined several witnesses, tvhose evidlence lhcy have directed to be laid "before the Houise." We ourselves, however, having taken the pains to read that evidence, can conscientiously acquit the honourable Gentlemen of any neglect in the mnatter of abservations ; for more puzzlingj inconclusive, or barre:m stuff, we have seldom been condemned to cope wvith, than the testimony of the five or six bakers called up, and who were, as it appears, the only persons called upotn in a ques- tion which lay directly between thc baking-trade and the public. Certain facts, being of general notorietyj the Com- mittee couldl not hep extorting; Xnd in tlbcra may be edin- prised the whole result of thc labours recorded in these 20 quarto pages, which the nation is to pay for having printe(l. It appears, then, that salt is cheaper than it used to be; that candles(thebaker's trade being mostly carriedon atnight)are much cheaper; that the window-tax has been reduced one- half; that the bread consumed by the baker and his family costshim far less than before; butcher's meat,and all expenses of housekeeping, less ; and yet when the bakers, of whom high-priced and low-priced are interrogated bly the com- mittee, have the question put to them whether, with these numerous reductions, some smaU diminution of the baker's profits might net be consistent with justice to hin and to the public, they vociferate, in one full-toned chorus, that the thing would be impossible; for they do not make one farthing of their bustness m6oe thian when taxes and prices were at the highest level. This applies to the country bakers, where there is still an assize. In London there has arisen, it is said, an increased competition since the removal of the assize, and a considerable jumbling of prices. The high bakers (those Avho call thenmselves "re- " spectable") chargingliod. for the same loaf, stated publicly to be of the same fiour,which the low bakers(of course "1 not " respectable !") contrive to sell, and with a sufficient profit, at 8d. The latter persons assure the coimnittee that the high bakers all hang together and drive a bad business, notwith- standing their "1 respectability," from giving long credits, and having consequently a restricted trade. XVe are very glad to hear it;