COST OF BREAD WRAPPING

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26969, 19 February 1953, Page 7

COST OF BREAD WRAPPING

MINISTER’S VIEWS (New Zealand Press Association) NELSON, February 18. If* the public wanted bread to be wrapped they must be prepared to pay for it, the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr J. T. Watts) told the New Zealand conference of master bakers in Nelson today. ' He thought there were more important aspects of hygiene to press on with at present. The bread wrapping regulations were introduced by the previous Government- at a time when there was no hope of bringing bread wrapping into Existence in a worthwhile way because of the shortage of labour and the difficulty of getting sufficient supplies of paper of the right type, said the Minister The Minister of Health (Mr J. R. Marshall) and he both held the view that bread wrapping should be permitted. The only place to wrap was in the bakery at the start, said Mr Watts, though that would mean many problems. They should work towards the time when two prices could be charged, with bread wrapped for those who were prepared to pay for it. The question of the cost of wrapping should be dealt with in the current application to the Price Tribunal. , There were all sorts of conflicting reports from the United States and the United Kingdom about the wrapping of bread, said the Minister. If it were done over a period by those who wished to do it, they would be able to get a much better picture of the whole situation. As a general proposition, bread wrapping was a developing practice throughout the world and it seemed a natural development.