MASTER BAKERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 138, 5 March 1908, Page 4

MASTER BAKERS.

CONFERENCE AT NEW PLYMOUTH. THE PRESIDENT REPORT. (from OUIt SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS.) > New Plymouth, March 4. ( . The annual report presented' Ij.v tlio president of tlio Master Bakers Association conp- gratulatod tho Association and all tlio memhers, for never in tho history of tho Association. had they found themselves in so sat-isfac- ; tory a condition. Tho financial position was ) good. Thero had. been moro unanimity .. shown by tho master bakers in taking an ). active interest' in the Association. Tho year i.. J just closed has. becii tho. most eventful tho master bakers over had. Owing to tho drought and shortage of grain tho prico of flour had fluctuated in a manner hitherto unprecedented in'tho Dominion, excepting in tho very eariy days. The master bakers had 1 had a dea.l to put up with at tho hands of a certain scction of tho. public' and, Press. So soon as they found it necessary to increaso ■ tlio. prico of bread, owing to tho rise in. tlio . prico of Hour, ' articles apppeared deprecating the action of tho bakers. It was <1 most -.romarkabto "tiling that' rises in ' any other ;foods might .occur. and hardly, a .word spoken . :.l?y tho; Press, ;,btit . let tho baker, raise tho prico of tho lpaf and thero was a perfect : 'h0w1.... Why was I .this? ' Was not tho baker '.entitled'' to. Mo aiid meet'^contingencies'oll ' -tho same conditions as other trades? Or was ;ho , supposed to bo a benevolent individual who was expected to give his. waros away or soli at- iv loss!:' Bakers did not want wheat to sell 'at a high prico.-,-, They,ojuld Roll moro broad at the same margin of pr<>fi(wlien flour .was low.. It.was an mdispiitablo fact that bakers did riot charge enough, and did not make sufficient provision - for bad • debts.'This item, were it ..known to the : public, I would cause .considerable surprise. - It had'come tp such a pass that two masterunions in tho Dominion .had decidfcu ■to ,soli' only: for cash I oil 'what was, known .as tho. .." coupon system," which ! wouldbe : discussed . .at -_that , conference. ■ After dealing with tho report of the deputa- ' tion. to tho Ministor for Public Health, tho President, stated that tho Sale of- Foods aiid Drugs "Act; 1,007, mn-st be considered a fair Act. ... " ;' . '' ~ Tho report and balanco-sheot wero adopted without disciissiojri. .- . . , Mr.;'.Pratt (Canterbury)' brought'' .pp tho inattbr. of 'prohibiting smoking in bakehouses and 011 delivery carts,.,; This had. been before th.o , last .-conference, and had been referred to tlio,. executive..;'-Ho cited an instanco whero -a cart had caught fire a, match, which hadNbeen thrown carelessly., .Mr.;.M.'Parland .(Wellington)'said ho had hot'thought fit to bring this under tho notice df tho Minister, for tobacco was a preventive of disease, but lie, thought it would bo better-to discourage or prohibit smoking by. boys .and mendelivering bread. He considered it a matter for individual bakers. : . President . said, to appeal to tho ' Minister would bo to make the bakers'look

ridiculous, for it would show tho bakers were unable to' control 'their- own' business. ■' It was too trivial a matter for special legislation. v..On the motion of Messrs.' Smeeton (Auckland)' -and'JJratt (Canterbury), it was decided .that- the conference recommend that the master; bakers, of ,tho Dominion discountenance "smoking \ during tho •, manufacture ■-. of bread and delivery'to. customers, j.; \ Mr. v Gardiner • (Auckland) .: submitted r an Auckland 'remit','. that: goods spoiled' by employed ; sho'uld be paid' for by them' at cost price, and. be remade by thom in, their own timo; •'•. 1 ! . . Tho. President said that a' master bakor could, obtain 1 redress| in the Courts if lie could prove, tho damago 'was wilful. i ' Mr. Gardiner gaid ho had known instances whero a -inan had wilfully spoiled goods' to prevent the"'employer continuing a certain 'branch of manufacture which gave tho omployeo extra' work. '. t Mr. Knox said, the "law; compelled the em-' ployor. to .pay, a;mMi ; for working, but 'would not conlpel_ V main' to do/work 'propferJy.'7, , Mr.! : thought' members-"of- tho Associatitoh'. should '.post" on ;a"blacli-list' ! 'tho liamo , of any" employee whoso carelessness WBs a : soured,of expense to his,employer:;, Mr. -leylarid suggested following tho Garman practice of issuing certificates, which would'bo!"'smudged " by ji bad record'. • ■; Tho President said employers wero com-; polled by law to issue theso discharge certificates, which woro provided by tho Labour Department, but employees did not tako advantage, of ,tho, provision. . . Tho remit will be posted to the various unions for their .consideration. (BY TELEGnXrn—rBF-SS ASSOCIATION.)'; New Plymouth, March 4.. ; Tho Bakers' Conference to-day decided to reconimend .all Master Bakers'. Unions to adopt the . oash system for the sale of ' bread. •