THE PRICE OP BREAD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 171, 19 July 1907, Page 3

THE PRICE OP BREAD.

(To toe Editor.)

Sir, —The letter which .appeared in a recent issue of your valuable paper, entitled "Dear Bread," and signed "A Victim," is, I think, calculated to mislead. Qne -would be liable to draw from it the conclusion that the- merchant "who recently" sold-1000 tons of flour, "spread deliveries extending to September Ist, at £8 15/ per ton,etc.,"had supplied'theflour needs of Auckland for this period. -If so,, this would be contrary to the real facts as to the position. Auckland's requirements are considerably" over. 2000 tons per month. So 1000 tons is less than a fortnight's supply. Possibly, a few of the bakers bought as stated, and.' if so, are they not entitled to their good judgment, or good fortune! in having done so? Why didn't "A Victim" secure a bread contract for a like period at the' lower price? If he were not far-seeing enough to do so, it is then, "dog in the manger" spirit to complain of the advantages gained by those who did.

Assuming the conditions had been reversed, that these few bakers had contracted fqr their supplies of flour for some months at, say, £11 per ton,. and that the flour market had fallen, to £S, and bread proportionately, would "A Victim" have been willing in such a case to shoulder.the bakers' loss?'. Four months ago, potato merchants bought nearly all their requirements of this tuber for four months. Had they waited another month they could have bought these for 30/ per ton less than they had done. Upon almost every sack of potatoes coming to this port (everything calculated) the merchants are losing 30/ per ton, this just owing to their mistake in not foreseeing the fall. But the potato eater (rightly and properly) ; does not volunteer to step in to make good the dealers' loss. Why then should those bakers who have happened to buyflour advantageously hand over their little streak of good fortune to all and sundry? "A Victim" is too altruistic altogether in his ideas, for the present age at any rate; that is if he really practices what he preaches. I wonder does he?—l am, etc., ANTI-HUMBUG.

July 11th, 1907.