MEMBERS DISSATISFIED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 95, 23 April 1931, Page 20

MEMBERS DISSATISFIED.

TWO INTERESTING PHASES. FLOURMILLS OVER-CAPITALISED ? (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON", Wednesday. It was evident during the discussion in the House on the flour-milling and bread-making industries to-day that members were not satisfied regarding the retail prices of bread submitted bv the Department of Industries and Commerce. They were assured by the Minister in charge, the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle, that the quotations were obtained. from the most responsible quarters, the Master Bakers' Associations. Many different yersions of bread prices were given, and the most extreme 'instance came from, Mr. H. G. Dickie (Reform. Patea), who declared that in Palmerston North grocers were selling 1 bread at 9d per 41b loaf, on condition that their customers bought 10/ worth of groceries, but the price in his own! town. Hawera, was 1/2 delivered, or 1/1 i cash. He understood that an endeavour had been made recently to reduce the price of bread immediately, and that the farmer was prepared to concede something, and the miller also was willing to make a reduction in flour, but the bakers were not.prepared to concede anything; consequently no result was obtained from the conference. The Minister stressed the point made in the official report regarding the overcapitalisation of the milling industry. Many mills were not "running to their full capacity, and the result of combination among the millers was that the profits from the more efficient mills were used to carry the less efficient. "I hold that the inefficient mills ehould go out of business and the work be undertaken by the more efficient, which could reduce the price of flour to the bakers," concluded the Minister.