The Price of Bread.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 6488, 15 September 1915, Page 2

The Price of Bread.

(To the Editor)

Sir, —A9 practically an outsider iv , the matter of food prices, I mi y be pardoned if I write a few lines by way of supporting Mr T. Breadbasket in his endeavour to cheapen the price of the staff of life. J cannot; ■ however, altogether subscribe to the correctness of his figures, when he states that the sack of flour will produce 140 21b loaves... If the. bread is full weight that is almost impossible and rarely, if ever, obtained, but certainly 136 of such loavea can be secured without difficulty. I fearsome more drastic action than public opinion is necessary to secure a reduction to a more reasonable price notwithstanding "CommonsenseV specious special pleading on behalf of his trade that the present figure is not too high, and all such pleading, considering iti source and object may, therefore, be taken cum grano salis. We may, however, accept one statement as correct. I refer to the one which asserts that the Auckland bikers (and local ones also?) make no change in , price under £2 10s per ton, the alteration, I presume, being a half-penny per 21b loaf, though £2 17s 6d per toff , would express this alteration' more accurately. I maintain that the following scale is a fair and reasonable price at which bread should be sold:~ With flour at £7 10s to £10 per ton, bread 3d. £10 to £12 10s per ton, bread 3Jd. £12 30s to £15, bread 4d.' £15 to £17 10s, bread 4Jd, at which latter figure bread should, and would, now be selling, if the trade were fixine; profits at all reasonably, though with a distinct leaning in favour of the trade with a fall to 4<l when flour is reduced to £15. In Taurangi you - are even better off than city bakeries tor the reasons that rents ate lower, business is on a cash basis, and the fact of the carts calling *t tfe various homes daily is an aid to .otter lines of business, whereas . rno«t citf bakeries depend solely for their profit on the sale of bread. "Commonscnse", may possibly object to the starting price of 3d'per 21b loaf, with floor at £7 10s to £10, but halfpenny into. this is the basts on which bread has been sold in the cities in previoua years, and I understand for some considerable time in Tauranga, hot not recently, and there is quite a W profit in it as "Commonßense" •"« others of that ilk know, providing the minimum turnover is*l36o losves P"1 week. ' , . 1 notice Australia leads the way *" Government bakeries, .and poasi&ty » "M T. B." was to pat the cisc by. circular before the members of «* New Zealand Government be would be surprised at the satisfactory result of his effort. t From small beginning* big results often happen. Ui m* . recommend him to take that course, v no relief is. forthcoming at an e*rW date.—l am, etc., ■■ ' ' INTERESTED OBSERVER. Tauranga, Sept 14, 1915.