BAKERS' CONFERENCE

Northern Advocate, 23 January 1929, Page 8

BAKERS' CONFERENCE

COST OF DISTRIBUTION,

PERTINENT 'REMARKS

(Per irrees Association.—Copyright.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day.

The annual conference of the New Zealand Master Bakers’ and Pastrycooks’ Association opened this morning, Mr T, ‘,S. Searle (Dunedin) • presiding.

After a. welcome toy tho DeputvMayor and. the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Hon J. G. Cototoe addressed the' conference. He said he would not !be one to interfere ■with legitimate, private enterprise. He believed In; private enterprise and believed that the man running his own business was bettor qualified to deal with it than any Government.

-T[le added: ‘‘With some trepidation a new Minister, I hesitate to touch upon the question of 'better distribution of bread, but I It now it is generally admitted in the trade itself that the cost of distribution is extremely high. Any improvements which can be effected in relation to the actual cost of production many believe are relatively important compared with di'

the savings, which I nm Inclined to jf think could he made, if the distribution, particularly in the main centres wore bettor organised. My Department informs me that the cost of distribution often runs to as high as Id per 21b iloaf' and in some cases this figure is exceeded. When we consider this cost, in comparison with the cost of the main item, namely, flour itself, its importance becomes most marked. It youi- conference, therefore, or your local associations, could find some method of establishing a better organised dish-ibntion I am sure they would bo doing excellent work in the interctsts of thrt trade and of the public,