Untitled

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8726, 27 November 1913, Page 7

Statements were made at the Bakers' Convention at Adelaide about the unreliability of bakers' carters or delivery men. Mr John Burton (New Zealand) referred to the difficulties involved in the question of the delivery of bread. He declared that the delivery problem should be seriously, considered. Mr Bennett (Melbourne/ agreed that the delivery question was a serious one in the bakery trade. In some businesses the cost was almost a penny a loaf, and then there was addition al difficulty of. defalcations by carters. Insurance was the only remedy he could think of. When a carter went out in the morning his employer did not know whether he would remain honest during the day. Even if he had remained honest for some years he might suddenly yield to temptation and "hit his employer up." He had lost £30 or £40 during the last year or two as a result of the dishonesty of two employees. Mr Birbeck suggested that the only solution of the difficulty was to establish depots where the customers might call for their bread. Mr Hunter did not think .insurance would be an effectual remedy, beconse the companies would not pay unless the men were proPßCuted, and they so often "cleared out/