PRICE OF BREAD

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 234, 28 June 1920, Page 6

PRICE OF BREAD

BAKERS ASK FOR INCREASE , - HEAVIER COSTS PLEADED A'deputatioa representative of tho master bakers of New Zealand was received on Saturday morning ■ bv tho president of-the Board of Trade (the Hon. E. P. \ Leo), when proposals regarding a- fur- '"' ther. increase in the prico of bread were laid before Him. Tho crux of the request was that the prices should bo made sixpence over-tho counter and sixS" ' fno6''halfpenny "delivered for the North land, and fivepence halfpenny and fivepence three-farthings respectively for the South Island. This represents an increase-of one halfpenny over the counter and one farthing delivered', for the •North. Island, and one farthing in each case for" the South Island. ■'* Mt. W. J. Logan, secretary of the Dominion. Master Bakers' Association, sold that it was! now three months sinco . they had met the late president of the board and placed before him their rea-

som for asking for an increase in prices. Since that, time the position had gone

from bad to worse. There had been ' various rises in the cost of production. ■■-. Speaking particularly for Auckland, there had been an increase in. the prico of flour, and in wages. Cartage had : Tisen by 7s. 6d. per ton, and even rnore in some cases. Wages had been'.in- . creased six shillings per week by the bonus recently granted, this representing about four shillings per ton on the .'ceet of manufacture. In the South Island wages had recently risen a further 10s. per week. The Auckland award had just run out, and it was anticipated that this, increase would be granted by the Court there. The actual and : prospective rises in costs represented 275. ■ 6d. per ton on the prico of bread. Other increases besides those already enumerated were: Coke, Gs. per ton; coal, 2s.j - and chaff, about £2. There had been ii decrease in the prico of sacks. That represented the position' in which the bakers were placed compared with three months ago, when the present prices were fixed, and it was stated that they ■were to be only temporary. Tho bakers were then very dissatisfied with the prices, and to-dny wero in. a far worse' position.' The bakers considered it was •very unfair that they should be kept • ■ down to n bare living so that the pubjic might have cheap bread. That was the. position as regarded the Auckland district, ■ and it was substantially the 6ame for tho rest of tho North Island.

"!ltr. A. L. Raven, representing the Wellington ' master bakers, said that they were in accord with the increases.suggested, on behalf of the Auckland dis.trict. • He stated thall the schedules,of..working expenses being supplied by tho 'master bakers to tho board were not a • fair criterion of the year's working. The winter months were their best time. Thd turnover was greater and there was not the waste that there was in tho 1 summer. Mr. Bailey, of New Plymouth, expressed the concurrence of tho Taranaki bakers'in the reanest that was being placed before the Iward. In remV to questions from the Min- ' Ister, Mr. Logan said that in Auckland the bulk of. tho bread Was delivered. Mr. Bailey said that for his. district t '■ about 25 per cent, onlv was sold over ihe couuter, and Mr. Raven said that v ln Wellington about one-third of the cutout was sold this way.

Mr. W. Bennie, of Wanganui. said that 'since the last interview with the oonrd the.'freight on flour to Wangamii had increased by four shillings a ton, •with the result that the Takers had to pay five shillings more to the merchants. . Mr. G. Boon, of Christchurch, said

that he -was in agreement with what had been said by the previous speakers. So far B3 Canterbury was concerned, bakers' wanes' had increased by sixteen shillings per week per man. carters' wages by six shilling 1 *, and uirls' waies by three shillings. Coal bad risen five ehillintrs per ton','" the earta?* of flour one shillinV, and the jwt of shoeing had by one shillinjr. Mr. Logan ; Paid that lie had just returned from slhinedin, and had ; found the bakers .■; there nnd in-Timnru and Oamam in 'agreement with those in Canterbury on ~tji'« matter of an increase. j • 'Mr. Lee said that they would nor. of course, expecthim to give a definifo answer jminediatelv. The object of fhn hoard was to do the fair thine bv both ,the'bakers and : the nublic. Their r»presentations - would be very carefully 'and speedily considered and the conclusion would b» announced at as early a "date as possible. \