THE PRICE OF BREAD

Evening Star, Issue 20257, 19 August 1929, Page 11

THE PRICE OF BREAD

A MELBOURNE REVOLT HOUSEWIVES TAKE ACTION. The Housewives’ Association’ in Melbourne has been conducting a vigorous campaign against the high price of bread. It has even gone to the length of arranging for a supply of its own and opening broad depots all over the city. The president, Mrs Percy Russell, told : the ‘Age’ recently that one of the' association’s bakers, whose name had already been published in the press, had been boycotted by one of the biggest millers in Melbourne, who had refused to supply him with flour. It was the intention of this baker to approach the miller with a further request for flour when he would proffer a cheque sufficient to fully cover the cost of tho flour. Mrs If us soil added that if the required supply of flour were again refused the full facts of tho position would bo given to tho public. “Nothing will turn us from our purpose of securing a supply of bread that nmy be sold to consumers at a reasonable price,” said Mrs ' Bussell. “If bakers can supply bread to the Women’s Hospital for sid tho 41b loaf on contract for a year, there can be no satisfactory reason why they cannot supply it to tho ordinary housewife for Bd.

It is alleged that pressure was brought to bear on Mr 11. M. Lindsay, dairy produce merchant, of Bay Street, Port Melbourne, to prevent him from selling bread at Sd the 4lb loaf. Mr Lindsay told the police that lie had received a threat that In’s supplies of bread would be discontinued, and that a rival business would be established near by, with the object of ruining his trade. The Housewives’ Association decided to stand behind Mr Lindsay and to supply him with bread from its own bakery. Accordingly he had been supplied with 150 41b loaves of white bread and seventy-five loaves of Dr Dale’s wholemeal bread for retailing at Bd the loaf, Tho association has secured another bakehouse for the production of wholemeal bread and all the depots will bo well supplied. Mrs Russell has been most gratified at Hie steadily increasing demand for the bread. ?