The Statesman.
London, England, 1814-09-08 00:00:00

EVIDENCE ON THE CORN LAWS.

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HOUSE OF LORDS, JULY S.

PROFITS ACQUIRED BY THE MILLER.

Mr. Kennett Kingsford is called its ; and, having
been sworn, is examined as follows :
What is your profes►ion ?—A manufacturer of
flour.

What do you mean by a manufacturer of flour ?
A miller.

How long have you been in that line of business
—L have taken an active part in that line of business
for the last ten years, in two different establish-
ments ; I have been in business for myself only four
or five years.
Where are your present mills ?—Near Malden, in
Essex.

Where was the other concern ?—ln Kent, near
Canterbury.

Have you generally ground foreign wheat or home-
grown wheat?—Both.
Have you ground on your own account?---Yes, on
my own account, in partnership with another.
The line of your business is to purchase the corn
and to grind it, and send it to be sold ?--To grind it
and send it to the London Market.

Can you state to the Committee the relative quality
of foreign wheat and of home-grown wheat which ,
you have ground ?—We do not consider the quality
of foreign wheat in general as so good as that of this
couitry, particularly that of Essex, which is consi• I
dered particularly fine. I
The wheat grown in Essex and Kent is supposed
to be the finest in the kingdom, is it not ?-1 believe
it is, unless it is some that is grown in Middesex and
Hertfordshire, that is equal in quality. ••
Is there any peculiar quality in the foreign wheat
that renders a mixture of it necessary or deSirable
for the making of bread do not know that it is 1
necessary, but it certainly improves the qualiiy'of
tha-flour; when I speak of the foreign wheat, I speak
of course of the best 'quality of foreign wheat ; it
differs very much in quality.
Can you state to the Committee, what it is in the
foreign wheat that renders it desirable to ant► it with
other in the manufacture of bread ?—We generally
consider that it gives a strength to the flour, which
pleases the baker.
What do you mean by a strength to the floor ?
That the baker is enabled thereby I believe to make
a larger proportion of bread from a sack, than he
would by flour with which foreign wheat was not
mixed.

1. that on account of the supposed dryness of
foreign a heat 1-1 cannot speak to that exactly, it is
owing to the superior quality which it has ; foreign
wheat is generally dryer than English, principally
wing, I should suppose, from its being older.
Does it not depend greatly upon the wetness or
dryness of the season in this country, whether foreign
wheat is or is not desirable ?—lt certainly becomes
almost necessary, in case of a wet harvest, to use Co-
reign wheat to make a good sack of flour ?
Is the foreign wheat always of this dry quality, or
does it not also vary In consequence of the seasons ?
—lt varies considerably iu different years ; generally
we consider it to be dryer than the average growth
of wheat in this country.
Can you state to the Committee the difference of
price between any given quantity of wheat at market
and the same quantity when made into flour and de-
livered to the baker ?—lf I may draw the line on the
present prices, the best wheat would now fetch 10s.
per bushel, and the best flour is now selling at 13s. '
per bushel.

What quantity of flour does a buskel of wheat
produce ?—A quarter of wheat of eight Winchester
bushels Me calculate produces five bushels and a half;
the best English wheat will exceed that.
What would a quarter of wheat of the first qua-
lity, such as you have mentioned in your previous
answer, produce in flour ?—lf it was well manufac-
tured it would produce six bushels, or rather ex-
ceed it.

What would be the value of those six bushels per
bushel at present ?—Thirteen shillings a bushel at
this present moment. _ _

Is that answer made on the supposition of the
wheat having cost 10s. per bushel ?—Yes.
Wuat other produce arises from a quarter of
t such as you have already alluded to, besides
the six bushels of Hour?—About a bushel of
middlings, and about five strikes of bran and pol-
lard.
What is a strike?--A strike is a Winchester
bushel.

What is the value of the bushel of middlings?—
At this present moment about 7s.
That is when produced from wheat of the quality
of which you are speaking ?—Undoubledly.
What is the value of the five strikes of bran and
pollard from wheat of the same quality?—About
3s. for the whole vat present bran and pollard are
selling exceedingly low, lower than has been known
for many years.
What are the general purposes to which the bran
and pollard are 'applied ?—The pollard is given to
pigs, and the bran used principally for horses and
other stock.

What is pollard ?—Pollard is the finer particles of
the husk of the wheat, similar to bran, but heavier,
and considered finer, and some particles of the
course middlings are mixed with it.

Is the Committee to understand, that a quarter of
14 heat of the first quality, value 80s. produces to
vou when resold in the market, for six bushels of
flour at 13s. 31.141. ; for ene bushel of midlings 75.;
and for five strikes of bran and pollard 35.; making
together 41. Bs. ?—Yes.
What do you compute to be the outgoings in
bringing it to your manufactory and carrying it to
market ?—We generally calculate, that the whole of
our expense from the mill which is entirely water
carriage, and the commission to the corn-factor in
London, amounts to from five to six shillings per
sack.

Can yen state to the Committee, what the expence
of carrying from the mill to the market, and the
commission, would be upon the several articles of
six bushels of flour, of one bushel of middlings, and
of five strikes of bran and pollard ?—From seven
shillings to seven shillings end sixpence.
Whet do you calculate would 136 the expence of
conveying the wheat value SOL a quarter to your