PRICES OF FOOD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16805, 15 March 1915, Page 6

PRICES OF FOOD.

OATMEAL DEARER. [Per Phess Association] DUNEDIN, Alarch 13. The price of oatmeal m Dunedin has advanced to £2l per ton consequent on the rise in oats. >

f STATE BAKERIES

ANNOUNCEMENT BY AIR AIASSEY [Per Press Association.]

WELLINGTON, Alarcli 13,

Speaking to a ” Post ” reporter today on the subject of the price of flour, the Prime Minister said: “ Speaking on behalf of tho Goverment, if there are any further increases in the price of bread the Government will establish bakeries in the four principal centres of the Dominion with tho object of regulating prices.”

NATIONALISATION OF BREAD INDUSTRY.

NEW SOUTH AVATJBS PROPOSAL,

EXPLAINED BY A MINISTER. Liy Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received March 14, 5.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, March. 14. At a meeting of the Master Bakei-s’ Association, - the Hon D. R. Hall outlined a scheme for nationalising the bread industry. He challenged the bakers to contradict the statement that by spending half a million the Government coula deliver bread to private houses at a penny per loaf cheaper than the bakers deliver it. Mr Hall proposes to economise by buying flour in large quantities, eliminating the cost of running hundreds of bakehouses, spending no money in advertising or carters’ bonuses, and sending one cart into a- street instead f oi twenty. He estimated a saving of £loO,OOoj>er annum in delivery charges alone'. There would be no bad debts, the State selling books of coupons exchangeable for loaves. The reduction 0 f a penny per loaf would save the |K)ople £25,000 weekly and leave a large profit. He proposes, to acquire thirty-five to forty bakeries, compencato the owners and appoint an expert S to consider offers. Air Hall remarked that the master baker in future must ho prepared to embark £25,000. Already companies had been formed throughout New Zealand- In tho ordinary course of industrial evolution, without Government intervention, within ten years bread monopolies would be established in all the Targe centres as profitable as the Colonial Sugar Company. The Government proposes to forestall trusts in the Siblic