WHEAT PRICES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 139, 14 June 1934, Page 10

WHEAT PRICES.

COST OF BREAD. BAKERS' RELIEF APPEAL. DEFENCE OF ACTION. The baking trade's proposed appeal for Parliamentary relief from allegedly uneconomic conditions was defended to-day by Mr. S, S. Green, secretary of the Auckland Master Bakers' Association, in replying to the published criticism of a Christchurch miller. It had been stated, Mr. Green said, that his recent remarks concerning wheat and flour prices did not represent the considered opinion of his association. Hi.4 reply was that at a meeting , on Tuesday, the executive not only endorsed his published statement but also passed the following, resolution: — "Jt is the considered opinion of the Auckland Master Bakers' .Association executive that, owing to the high price of wheat and flour, the time is not opportune for asking for relief that would mean an increase in the price of bread. Any relief that can be given while maintaining the present prices of flour and wheat would cause bread to be sold fat a price so high that the decreased turnover resulting would more than counteract any advantages received." yiv. Green, said it was admitted that a certain amount of price-cutting would occur, no matter what were the prices of wheat and flour. However, bakciM J would be in a better position to meet such competition if prices were low. lXcjgarding the statement that the attack on wheat prices was unwarranted, he would say that no attack was intended; he had merely stated an obvious fact, that current prices in New Zealand wero too high. He was at a loss to understand why a miller should be worried about his statement, since the miller could no more give the baker cheaper flour than the baker could give the public cheaper bread while the price of wheat, was so high. The baker had no complaint; against tlie miller, for if wheat prices were lowered, flour prices would follow suit, and the increased turnover would yield the miller a larger profit. "Conservative Figures." "My figures were conservative," said Mr. Green in replying to the charge that he had made some incorrect comparisons of prices. "The Christchurch critic, while challenging my figures, does not attempt to give what he claims are correct prices. It would be interesting to secure the correct figures of first-grade wheat delivered in Auckland over a period of 12 months. Flour in Auckland costs £1 10/ a ton more than it does in the South Island, but if a man grew wheat in Pukekohe and sent it to Auckland fciills, his return would be only the wheat pool price. Auckland people are loaded with £1 10/ a ton, under tha guise of extra freight charges from the South Island to Auckland." Mr. Green added that lately a wellknown Auckland baker had bought first- I quality flour at £5 10/ a ton f.o.b. Sydney. Although the freight to Auckland was approximately the saino as if the flour had been shipped from the South Island, the landed cost under the sliding scale duty was £15 a ton. Surely that was too much to ask the New Zealand public to pay in order to provide a bounty for the wheatgrower.