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"425 Qu the Public Brewery-[May

diverſion of the manufaQture is efffe&ed, as in the caſe of a boun- ty, ſometimes granted by government to a favourite produêtion. "hus the queſtion, Whether it be cheaper to make beer, or to buy it ready made? is not left to an impartial deciſion founded on a calculation of profit and loſs, but is determined by the un- natural interference of a- bounty on the home produêtion. In eneral we are taught, that the great extent of a manufaQure, and the conſequent ſubdiviſion of labour, is the grand organ by which only a nation of wealthy capitaliſts is enabled to underſell its poorer neighbours. Hence the ¡more complex a manufature, the more it is adapted to an extenſive eſtabliſhment, and the leſs radticable in private families, XXXIX. Indeed the a& of brewing is not 2 Vvefy complex operation;- but ſimple as it is, in its extent, it may be found to divert a large quantity of national capital and efficient induſtry.

In large families it is uſual to have a building appropriated as a

brew-houſe; and in ſmall families the apartment which is the ſcene of brewing would uſually be much leſs, but in contempla- Lon Sf that vécaſional ſe. Indeed’as brewing veſſels are never kept out of doors, ſome additional ſpace is neceſſary for their reception. I ſhall eſtimate the additional building at an average tó amount to Tol. The copper, the maſh-tub, and the cooler, are requiſite in the ſmalleſt brewery; and thoſe caſks, which-ex- ceed two, for cach ſort of beer, would never háve been made had'ño private brewery exiſted. Ten’ pounds more cannot be thought too much for theſe articles. Eſtimating(4) 300,000 families to brew at home, the capital thus ſunk is ſix millions, Ît is true that moſt. of this cannot be reconverted into caſh; however the old copper is worth ſomething; the extra caſks would fetch their value, and the faves of the maſh-tub are con- vertible in the public brewery. This might recal a quarter(51) of the capital ſunk, and refund a million and a half to the na- tional ſock. It is alſo to be obſerved, that brewing utenſils (except the copper) are not preſerved the longer by unfrequent uſe, wherefore an annual expence of at leaſt 5 per cent. for re-

“ pairs of brewhouſe, and renewal of caſks,&c,-is incurred; this,

when the private brewery is demoliſhed, promiſes an annual ſav- ing of 300,000l.

XL. Neither is ſo much beer produced from an equal quan- tity of malt in the private brewery. Indeed the loſs cannot be very exactly aſcértained; taking it at-10 per cent. the loſs on a(€)

(4) If farms average at 150 ACreS» there are 200,000 farmers in England. Thefe’all brew at home. I ſuppoſe it is not too much to add 100,990 other families, Z

(e) If the beer exciſe produce twomillions(groſs amount) the number of barrels 1s five milions. This, at three barrels per quarter,(uppoſes 1,666,000 quarters conſumed’ in the public brewery. If 200,000 quarters are COR- ſumed inthe diſtillery, about a million remains for the private brewer.