Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-02-09 00:00:00

SALE OF CORN BY WEIGHT,

It has been publicly announced that, from the Ist
of February, grain, meal, and flour will be sold in
the markets of Liverpool, Glasgow, and Hull, only by
the " cental" of 100 lbs. avoirdupois.

The effect upon these markets may be inferred from
inspection of the following summary of weights about to
be displaced in the Liverpool market, by the " cental"

Wheat has hitherto been sold

Oats
Indian corn and bean- .
Peas ..... .....
Fl ur ...............
Oatmeal and Indian meal

....196 lbs or 280
per 196 lbs or 240

A similar (not identical) variety, has prevailed in the
markets of Glasgow and Hull ; and still prevails in all
the principal corn markets of the United Kingdom.
The resulting evil is twofold—multiplicity of methods
in the same market and variety of methods in different
markets; but it is most important in the latter aspect.
The main object of trade in corn may be said to be to
equalise the price in different localities. Freedom of trade
has its value in the facility it affords to the attainment of
'this object, its value alike to the producer, to the dealer,
and to the consumer. The lowest price fairly attainable
throughout the kingdom—the price best for all parties
would be an uniform price, or a close approximation to it ;
and this is just the price towards which every additional
facility given to the corn trade helps us nearer, and to the
attainment of which the exertions of every corn dealer are
constantly (iowever unconsciously) directed.

To Laic,. first, the case of thei /dealer. The method
of equalisation is invariable -it is transfer of corn from
places in which it is cheap to places in which it is dear.
This process has three parts :-Ist, discovery of local
inequalities of rice;p 2nd, negotiation of a transfer; and
3rd, transmission of the required quantity of corn.
Corn dealers profit is payment for performance, or direc-
tion, of these processes ; and is palpably dependent upon
the number and extent of the transactions effected. But
both "number" and " extent" are reduced by every
difficulty in the way of the transaction itself ; and diver-
sity of modes of sale undoubtedly makes wore difficult
what the corn-dealers are especially called upon to do,
—to find out where corn can be bought cheapest and
sold dearest ; and until these steps are taken, facilities of
transmission are practically worthless. The cases of
producer and consumer are disposed of with a moment's
reflection. The transfer will only take place when its
effect will be to reduce, in some degree, the average
price of the kingdom. So much for the consumer. And
it will only take place when its effects will be to raise,
in some degree, the price of the particular corn dealt
with. So much for the producer.
This evil of diverse measures is not a new one ; but
it is of late become more apparent, and less bearable,
and hence it is more heard of. It was felt enough in
1834 to induce the House of Commons to appoint a
select committee "to inquire into the present
.practice
of selling corn throughout the United Kingdom,
with a view to the better regulation thereof." That
committee examined many witnesses, and reported the
existence in the country of a great diversity in the modes
of selling corn ; that in some districts sales were made
only by weight, in others only by measure, and in others
by both methods ; that great inconveniences resulted ;
ever-recurring misunderstandings and disputes; markets
ignorant of the state of, and disinclined to have dealings

with, each other ; fraud constantly facilitated
published quotations of price commonly uniatel
out of their own locality Nearly five-and-twenty
have elapsed, and the diversity remaining nearly
the ill effects of it having been largely finer(