THE PRICE OF BREAD, TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Post, Volume XLVII, Issue 88, 14 April 1894, Page 4

THE PRICE OF BREAD, TO THE EDITOR.

Sib — I ask your permission to reply to " Traveller," "Economy," and others, who have been writing on the price of bread in your oity. "Traveller" wants to know how it is that a baker in Woodville supplies bread at 4d a 41b loaf. A loaf is a loaf, whether it stands weight or not. Did he weigh the one ho bought? The bakers in Woodville are cntting on one another. The one blames the other. There are four shops. The one is trying to close the other up, and if they succeed up goes the broad to 5d and perhaps 6d. Bread at 4d is working for nothing, but 5d in Woodvillo is better than Ud in Wellington. Why ? Because wood is one-third tho price, rents one-third, and everything in proportion. " Traveller " knows nothing whereof ho speaks. Bakers' oxpenses ought to be considered in writing on the subjoct. " Economy " tries to snub " J.L." He also should not write on a subject be knows nothing about. 20001b is a ton— granted, but the weight of the sacks has to be deducted. Now, sir, a ton of New Zealand flour will not produce the amount he and his authorities state. It is too soft. Tfc would take the flour all its time to produce that quantity that is made dut of tho best wheat that ia grown in the world, that is. North American wluafc, whioh commands the highest price in the Fnglish market. Others referred to the price of bread in Christohuroh and Duuedin. The same thing is the case them as in Woodville. Now, how are their men paid in those places. The wages are pnlled down to enable this state of things to exist. Now, I claim that bakers .are a poorly paid olass of tradesmen ; they have to slave when others are asleep. It requires skill and attention to produce good bread; and I claim, in ihoso places mentioned they don't get tho remuneration they deserve. Why ? Because the workmen have to do it. Their masters want to oloso up someone eke. Now, the bakers in your oity, bo tar as I know, are working in harmony, and for so doing they are found fault with. They aro only getting a living profit. Livo and let livp. Now, sir, I will toll you how the public would get cheaper bread, groceries, itc Pt tition the Government to biing in a Bill at its meeting of tho Houso to tho effect 1 hat tho baker, grocer. &c, cannot sue for nn account over 10s. 1 hero is not a baker nor grocer from Aucklaud to Tnvorcargill but what would I believe give a yoar to the rovenne if such a Bill parsed. Of course there might not so much go over the publichouse bar nor the totalisator, but there mipht not bo so many bankrupts. Also petition the Government to rnn its macbiuety cheaper, not to keep up so many gentlemen at extravagant salaries. No wonder tho little colony is in debt — it takes so much lo rnn it. Fancy Ministors in ihis little ojlony flying through the country with thoir servants in attendance at the country's oxpenee, tellixiff tho peoplo that everythingis lovely, and the " gooeo hanga high " We will watch with interest when the House moots to hear of the great good accomplished. It might be bitter for tha country if they would stay more in their offices, pull their coats off and go to work, and send a nnmber of their hangers-on away to earn their bread by the sweat of their brow — bushfalling, or something else. Ministers in other countries can dojt, why not New Zealand's Ministers? Now, by the people looking into this matter, and leaving the poor baker alone, they would be doing the country good service. I have not met a baker in the Old Country, nor in my travels in America, nor since I came here, that has retiiod to live on the fortune he has made dough-punching. No, sir, let the people turn their attention on an extravagant Government, and I am a Liberal, too. By the way, if such a Bill passed, and the bakers and grocers paying .£5 a year, that would have made up the revenue which would bo lost by closing hotel licenses, and bottnr for all. lam a baker, but at the present moment I am in no way interested in the business, only paying for the bread I cat, and don't grudge 6d. I have travelled all over the colony, so I will sign myself 4 Another Traveller. to the editor. Sib — In relation to the above question your correspondent " Nemo " seems for once in his life to have found a real live " mare'e nest." The little snm ho has manufactured, showing how many loaves can be made out of a ton of flour, is about on a par with the old school catch question of " If a penny loaf cost a ponny when flour was at per sack, what would it ooat when flour was at 30s per sack ? " Then his next statement that " if a housowife- looks at her bills she will find her baker has put on an increase of 75 per cent, ovor his agreement" ia a direct insult to our honoured partners, "our housekeepers." No married man n ould dare mako such a statement, for we all know full woll that our bettor halves look upoft the grooer, bakor, butcher, &c, us persona whoso rendered bills want looking into, and whoso statemonts of accounts aro not ,to be dopondod upon. "Nemo" must have already a falso hoad-covoring, or he surely would not have the temerity to make suoh a slandorous obargo against our wives. His next statement is almost us trustworthy as tho others I have doalt with, that is, the grand opening that exists in Wellington for a co-operative bakery in Wellington. All I can say is, that if "Nemo" had experienced the same results us myself and tho various shareholders in the late Bakers', Grocers', and Builders' Co-operative Association, he would be the last in tho world to again advooato, under present conditions, the admirable system of work known as co-operation. In faot, I feel sure that in this case " Nemo " has " an axe to grind," or he would not bo so per. sistent _in pushing an affair which we from bitter experience know that, as long us our "Nemos" oxist in our midst, can never bo n. buocobs. "Nemo" is evidently one of those who while for their own purposes advooating co-operation, at the same time studiously take care to purchase their goods elsewhere. His final statement as regards a member of the Bakers' Union applying for aid to the Benerolont Sooiety is as misleading as his former statements, as after careful enquiry on my own and the secretary's part, I am in the position to deny that any member of the Bakers' Union has applied to that Society for relief. Sir, I f-honld not, even on behalf of my Society (of which I am proud), hnvo taken the trouble to reply to "Nemo" only to explain this: That pome time ago flour suddenly rose considerably in price, but the bakers, know, ing it must ultimately come down, unanimously refused to raise the price of bread, as they thought that the high prices would not last long, and, therefore, they would by-and-bye recoup. The consequence was, as "Nemo" knows, at least three bankruptcies, three assignments, and a general disorganisation of trade. Where would a co-operative bakery with its thousand and one bosses have been then ? Quantum sufficit. " Nemo," I feel sure, is one of those delightful " Children of Mammon," who would not care a large if the journeymen bakers worked 16 hours a day so long as he and bis prototypes bought bread one halfpenny a loaf cheaper. I am, Ac, T. H. Hogg, President Bakers' Union.