THE BAKING TRADE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 244, 13 October 1903, Page 2

THE BAKING TRADE.

(Continued from page 5.)

Mr Searle mentioned that the Dunedin Union had a rule that "No member of the Union shall do any business with any miller, merchant, or flour salesman who has been proved to have supplied anyone that under-sells, whether a member of the Union or not, without the permission of the Union in writing."

THE MILLING TRUST.

The conference this afternoon discussed the relationship of the millers with the bakers. The chief point at issue was whether the members of the Master Bakers' Association should agree to purchase their flour from the Millers' Association in return for special concessions, or whether they should continue to operate independently of such agreement.

Mr Dustin thought tie Wanganui bakers would not like to bind themselves. Mr McFarland said the same for Wellington. Mr Denhard (Wellington) was in favour «f making all the millers honorary members of the Bakers' Association. Mr Laurenson (Dunedin) thought this would be unworkable.

The president (Mr Kellow) favoured treating all millers alike, on commercial, independent lines.

Mr Smerdon said he -did not know of any Auckland bakers who had bought flour from the Millers' Association- It was a well known fact that the Northern Roller Mill and Bycroft's Company had stood aloof from the Millers' Combine, and the Auckland bakers saw no reason to try to get them to join that combination. The local mills had always dealt very fairly and liberally with the Auckland bakers, and he was sure this was the opinion of the oMier dele^ gates. He had always got as good terms from the Auckland mills as he could obtain anywhere else, and the Auckland bakers would still wish to be free from the Milling Trust.

Mr Buchanan said experience had shown that the Auckland firms acted rightly in keeping aloof from the trustAuckland was regarded as a model city on account of the firm stand which its mills took, and their action was approved by the public and by the Government.

It was finally decided that the Executive Committee should arrange for terras of discount with all the mills of the colony.

BAKERY CLASSES,

Mr George, director of technical education in the Auckland district, waited on the conference, by request, and discussed the question of starting bakery classes at the technical schools, as proposed by the conference earlier in the day. He fully approved of the suggestion, and advised the conference to pass a resolution on the matter, raise subscriptions, and communicate with the Government -with -a view of getting subsidies granted for the purpose. On the motion of Messrs. Smerdon and Buchanan, it was resolved that the executive committee take the necessary steps on the lines indicated by Mr George.

HOUR OF STARTING WORK.

Mr Smerdon said that on January 20th the award for the journeymen bakers in Auckland expired, and that of the carters on April 12th. He suggested, therefdrej that the conference should try, to adopt some uniform systems. The workers, it was thought, intended to ask that a uniform hour of starting in the morning should be fixed, and four o'clock was mentioned. He was convinced that the Auckland bakers would not l*ce to abandon their freedom as to the hour of starting.

Messrs Denhard and McFarl&nd said the Wellington bakers were in favour of three o'clock in the winter and four o'clock in the summer.

Mr Gardiner was not opposed to fixing an hour so long as the hour was early enough. He would, however, prefer a rule that the delivery carts should not start beiore eight o'clock, except for trains or boats. This suggestion was generally approved as the best means to prevent the early bakers catching the customers.

Mr Buchanan said the hotels, where hot bread was required for breakfast, would not like the arangement. He was not in favour of a fixed hour of

starting.

No resolution was passed. BAKERS' EXCURSION,

At the invitation of Mr P. Virtue, manager of the Northern Roller Mills, issued through the Bakers' Conference, the bakers of Auckland and their friends will enjoy a trip in the harbour to-mor-row on the p.s. Eagle, starting at 1.30 p.m.