THE PRICE OF BREAD.

Evening Star, Issue 11682, 14 February 1902, Page 7

THE PRICE OF BREAD.

TO TH£ KDITOR. Sir,—l can give a short but practical answer to your correspondents who think the baiting trade is ft highly profitable line of business to bo engaged in. 1 have been in the bread-baking line for eight years, and am prepared to show that, during that time 1 have lost capital to the tune of £3.500. According to the present monthlv statements (audited) this branch has begnn to show a. profit that would pay about 10 per cent, per annnrn on the capital invested. If any of your correspondents would like to buy the breadbaking branch of the business I shall be glad to sell out at any price within reason. —I am. etc.. Jas. Connor. February 14. TO TirE .EDITOR. Sir, —In your report of the master bakers' meeting yon say that I handed your representative a statement of a 4-ton bread trade, which is perfectly trne; but you omitted the heading of the statement, which said that it was drawn up by Mr James Patrick, an operative and practical baker of fifty years' experience, and one who is considered by the trade to be the most reliable authority on the baking industry in the City. The reason that I should like you to correct this is that the statement is not exactly my views, as my calculation is ten loaves to the ton less than Mr Patrick's.— I am, etc, T. S. Searle. February 14. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I have read with great interest :he controversy appearing in your paper l>etween some of the Millowners' Association and others. f am sure that thousands of your readers, who, in spite of fair union wages, find they have a. hard struggle to make ends meet, will lie anxiously waiting the results of this controversy. By the time the average workman pays his heavy rent, flour, etc., he linds that he has not got any too much cash, therefore we workmen and workwomen of Dunedin say: What would have become of us if it had not been for the labor unions that have raised our wages? I see by your paper to-night a statement by one. of our leading bakers. I do not think many persons who have studied that statement will disagree with me when I say that the bakers are treating us fairly enough, considering what they have to pay for Hour. As for the Millers' Assoc:at'ion, I think that the public have got. a right to say something about them and their Tra«t. " If the Millers' Association had got their point, and all the Hour mills in New Zealand had combined, the bakers of New Zealand would either have to take the flour at whatever price the combination fixed on, or go without. Ido not say that the millowners are doing what is unfaf. Far from it; but we all know that if a man has got his customers at his mercy he will reckon it is only business to make extra hi<..'h profit. Why can't the millowners have fair competition? If there is not a miners' union one could easily l»e made, and so make all the millowners pay the same wages to their workmen. For instance, it a man pavs union wages, and he is satisfied with £SO clear profit on his business, it is not to say he is undercutting prices if he sells cheaper than a man who wants £IOO clear profit. 1 am sure the majority of the public are glad that the Northern millers have struck, and 1 would like to know how it i- that Dunedin is paying 15s more a, ton for Hour than the other centres. I am not concerned in the baking or milling trade in any way. neither do I know, <o speak to, anv baker or miller, but I wri'e on the. strrntrth of what I have read in your paper, and hope that it will not be long before the necessaries of life will be brought to a fair price.--! am, etc.. Fa re Price. Fcbruarv 14.