IS BREAD A LUXURY?

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 5, 3 December 1932, Page 2

IS BREAD A LUXURY?

(To the Editor.) Sir,—l see by your journal that it has been decided in Victoria to bring about a conference in Loudon of the four principal wheat exporting countries, viz., Canada, America, Argentine and Australia., at which it is proposed, should the conference eventuate, to advocate the restriction of wheat acreage. I have also been told that wheat is being burnt in America. How true it is, I don't know. However, in the light of events, will some of our brainy politicians explain why we are paying 6d per loaf for bread in Palmerston North? Everybody else has to be satisfied with the law of supply and demand, but the Government pets, the wheat distributors, seem to have had a special blessing conferred on them, inasmuch as, to all intents and purposes, they have been exempted from the law of supply and demand. It is about time this dilly-dallying humbug was ended. Other traders have an equal right to ask that the ! price be regulated for groceries, fruit, milk, butter, meat, etc. The whole, or at least the greater part of the people of New Zealand are being asked to pay a bread ta.x in order to bolster up a favoured monopoly. Half the country are on relief, and the other half carrying bags, and bread' at 6d per loaf 1 The camouflage about being self-contained in the production of wheat is all eyewash, and another example of a longsuffering public being hoodwinked by some selfseeking politicians whose motto seems to be, themselves first, themselves second, and their country at election times! Could you, sir, give the public the prices of bread at the main centres? I am inclined to think that the bakers are in the grip of a combine. Let us hold a public meeting of protest, and endeavour to ascertain the true position. The greatest degression in our history with the exception of bread. —I am, etc., W. F. CUTLER. 39 Ada Street, Palmerston North.

The principal of a large bakery business in Palmerston North stated that the price charged for bread in this town is the same as in the cities of the Dominion. He said the price was not excessive considering the costs involved and that if it was too high the Government would soon interfere. He pointed out that it was not a fair way to calculate by stating that a ton of flour would make so many loaves of bread, and that it could therefore be sold at so much per loaf. There wore, he said, even in normal times, many loaves in a ton of flour for"which a baker was not paid, and at the present period of economic stress mainy families were supplied with bread for which payment could not be obtained. It was also stated that a baker worked very long hours compared with other people, and that he had to commence his labours when most people were going to bed. At the present time the master bakers themselves had to work very hard in order to keep business going. If the bakers could get cheap flour, he continued, they could supply cheap bread. Compared with the prices of flour in other places, he stated, the charge for bread in New Zealand was the lowest in the world. “Let the Government take the duty off wheat and flour,” Ire added, “and it will then be possible to sell bread at a much cheaper price.” 1