SALE OF BREAD

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 40, 17 February 1939, Page 10

SALE OF BREAD

NEW REGULATIONS

RETURNS PROHIBITED

RELIEF FOR BAKERS

"With the object of eliminating existing economic waste, regulations were gazetted last night prohibiting the 3turn of stale bread to bakers, and providing for an adjustment of flour prices and the remo\al of certain anomalies. The Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. .Sullivan), in explaining the regulations, said that no increase in the price of bread to the public was involved.

Mr. Sullivan said that for some time past representations had been made by the New Zealand Master Bakers' Federation for some meas- of relief to bakers to compensate them for increased costs. Before the last election, the Government had promised that, if it were found as a result^ of an investigation made by the Department of- Industries and Commerce that such relief was justified, the Government would consider ways and means of meeting the position so far as the bakers were concerned.

"An extensive investigation has just been completed by the Department," said the Minister, "and the result shows that while costs vary very considerably as between individual bakers and as between different cities and towns, nevertheless costs, generally speaking, have increased to some extent, principally caused by wage increases. The Government has decided to grant relief to the bakers to this extent. The proposals which will will be put into effect immediately do not involve any increase in the price of bread to the public. "The position will be met in two ways—firstly, by an adjustment of flour prices charged to bakers, and by the removal of certain anomalies which have existed in respect of bakers in certain places as regards the relation of bread prices to flour prices; and secondly, by the passing of regulations prohibiting the return of stale bread to bakers. The Department's] investigations have revealed thaf there is a large economic waste here and this has the effect of increasing bakers' costs by a substantial amount.

GAIN TO BAKERS

"The gain which will accrue to bakers generally from such regulations, together with the adjustments and the removal of the anomalies referred to, will be sufficient to compensate them for cost increases and will remove certain disparities which have existed in the relative position of bakers in different parts of the country. The regulations will have the effect of making the return of stale bread to the bakers an offence."

The Minister said he did not think anyone would object to regulations of this nature because it must be obvious that from the hygienic point of view they were eminently desirable. Other countries had recognised the wisdom of taking this step and had passed legislation prohibiting the return of bread after it had been sold. Australia was a case in point. In Western Australia legislation had been in existence for some time providing that after bread had been delivered to any person for sale or after bread had been sold and delivered to any person, no person was to accept redelivery of or exchange or take back into stock the bread so delivered

"In the New Zealand Sale of Food and Drugs. Act, section 26, passed as far back as 1908, there is a provision making it an offence for any person to take back bread from a retail purchaser after it has been delivered to him." said Mr. Sullivan. "The regulations now being issued extend this provision to cover the return of bread by the retailer to the baker. ' "The public need not fear that the new regulations will adversely affect the service given by bakers, either to retailers or to the public, or that the ability of either to obtain their full requirements of bread will be impaired in any way. A definite assurance has in fact been given to the Government by the New Zealand Master Bakers' Association, and by the various provincial associations, that the normal ability of the public to obtain their requirements of bread from resellers will not be prejudicially affected. The elimination of the present waste resulting from the return of stale bread should rather make for improved service and reduced costs, and from the health and hygienic point of view there is no question that the new regulations represent a substantial step forward in the development of the bread industry."