IS IT BENEVOLENCE?

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17206, 28 June 1916, Page 7

IS IT BENEVOLENCE?

WANGANUI BREAD COMBINE,

[From Oor Correspondent.]

WELLINGTON, June 27,

Caustic criticism upon a paragraph in the Labour Department’s report dealing with the cost of living was Heard when it was’ presented to the House to-day. Tho report stated that an interesting experiment, designed to lower the prico of bread, had been reported by the inspector at \Yanganui, vviioro the master bakers had forrneu tueiiiselvos into a company and had reduced the number ot delivery carts lrorn twenty-two to twelve, liie company divided the district into twelve mocks and one cart was allocated to eacn block, thereby doing away with tiie overlapping that previously occurred. ‘ l l don’t know how tho people of Wanganui will read this,” remarked Mr Veitch. “The general opinion there is that we have a pretty strong combine in the Wanganui bread business.” r l His company, he continued, had been shrewd enough to advertise that it had combined to lower the price of bread but his opinion was that this was not the major purpose. The company had no philanthropic ideas towards consumers. The' Labour Department’s paragraph was. a solemn farce. If the Minister of Labour was simple enough to think that the combine had been formed in the interests of the people than he didn’t know what Mr Massey was like when he started out in life. It was the most amusing thing he had read in a public document. “ Anyhow,” added Mr Veitch, “we have talked enough about tho cost of living. It '8 time we d ; d something.” The discussion which followed gave Mr Massey only a brief opportunity of repVng. He declared that he only wished bread was as cheap everywhere else as in Wanganui.