WHEAT DUTIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 18 September 1929, Page 2

WHEAT DUTIES

FURTHER EVIDENCE BEFORE COMMITTEE (Uy Tejonrapli—Press AHHoclation) WELLINGTON, This Day. The. wheat duties inquiry was continued. Mr VV. I). Hunt, representing the Unemployment Committee, submitted a paper prepared for the committee recommending the removal of all duties on stock foods, including wheat and wheat offal, but not on wheat for human consumption. This was to enable New Zealand to compete on the home market with pig and poultry products, which he was satisfied was possible under tho suggested conditions. He strongly opposed a subsidy to millers. A subsidy had to be borne by somebody, and would mean extra land or income tax.

Mr J. 11. Barber, representing master bakers, quoted the prices of flour and biead in Australia and New Zealand. He said that on the Australian basis bread here would be 63d and 7d the 21b loaf. He was certain there could not be a reduction in the price of bread without a reduction in the price of wheat and flour. Mr F. 11. Hawker, a Cbristchurch baker, said his firm was losing 6s 4d per sack in making heavy bread. This was made up on fancy lines. A house baker gave tho following figures of producing (he 21b loaf: Wages .6, fuel .13, upkeep of plant, .1, salt and other ingredients .31, flour 3.2, administration .3, interest .08, delivery wages .57, other delivery costs .25; total 5J,d. Mr W. A. Kellow, a Wellington baker, said he bad worked out the cost of delivered bread at 5.73.

The inquiry was adjourned till Tues day.