BREAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 133, 16 April 1864, Page 5

BREAD.

"Wk find from the late Melbourne papers that tlic fermentation which exists in the public mind with regard to the price of bread, and more especially to the equivocal weight of the commodity supplied, lias had its due ellect on the bakers there " Several meetings of the trade" says the Avqux. " have been hekl with a view of raising the price of bread, owing to the high quotations ruling iu the Hour market, but- a gathering which took place at the Albion Hotel on Saturday evening, at which Councillor "\V eedotv presided, it was unanimously agreed that as the price of flour for the last ten days had been easier, the cost of the four pound loaf should be reduced to lid. The question of full and light weight was. considering the composition of the meeting, discussed with considerable

fairness. It was not there denied that customers were justly entitled to have two or four pounds weight, of household bread supplied them, and each speaker asserted that lie was perfectly willing to weigh all bread sold at, his establishment. At the'same time, it was impossible to guarantee with Shaksperian exactness that, each seperate loaf should weigh " nor more nor less" than two and four pounds respectively. The present, outcrv against light weight was stated to have arisen from the action' oi' unprincipled traders, who sold their bread Id or 2d cheaper for the sake of underselling their neighbours. Bread, during the past week, was sold at prices varying from to Is, but the loaves sold at the cheaper rates were much reduced in weight. One instance was mentioned in which a purchased loaf, instead of weighing the orthodox four pounds, was only three" pounds and a quarter. The desirability of recognised officials being appointed to inspect the various bakers' estabhshluciits was also acquiesced in. It was considered that not only would the public derive considerable advantage from such a step being taken, but also those fair-dealing tradesmen who found

it difficult to maintain their ground against unscrupulous competition. After a lengthened conversation it was resolved that a deputation from the master bakers present at the meeting should be appointed to wait on the proper authorities, with a view to having the provisions of the Act for regulating the sale and weighing of bread carried out and enforced.