THE PRICE OF BREAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8632, 30 July 1891, Page 3

THE PRICE OF BREAD.

PUBLIC MEETING AT NEWTON. .A pcbeic meeting was hold in the Profcestaut Hall, Newton, last night, to consider ' the advisability of starting a co-operative bakery in view of the price now being ciiarged for bread by, the Auckland bakers. .'The hall was crowded, nearly 5!00 persons being present. Mr. Joseph Jordan was voted to the chair. Mr. H. G. Pain read a coup?.© of letters he bad sent to the press relative to the subject under consideration, and quoted a number of figures with the object of showing that the profits at present made by millers and bakers were excessive. He stated that the profit made by the Adelaide millers on one ton of flour was from 12s 6d to 14s, while the Auckland millers made from £2 16s to £3 3s 9d. The bakers' profits on baking three tons, including rent, wages, and incidental expenses, were £12 15s ; and if that quantity were baked every week, the yearns profits would amount to £663. ; A Co-operative Bakers' Association could be started in Auckland with a capital of £3000. The profit on 674 loaves at 5Jd per loaf, which could be baked from a ton of flour, would bo £1 8s lid, taking the price of flour at £11, the expenses of baking ib at £3. If the Association baked 50 tons per week, the surplus on the year's operations, after allowing IO per cent, interest on the capital invested, £200 for rent, etc., and £250 for depreciation of plant, would amount to £3009; so that in one year the Association would get all its invested capital back in profits, besides paying 10 per cent, to the investors. He gave the details of his calculations, and challenged any one to question their accuracy. Mr. C. Matthews said' he thought Mr. Pain was deserving of every credit for the figures he had put before the meeting. He had been through Mr. Pain's figures, and could - say that 'if the foundations upon which ho had made his calculations were correct they proved that the present price of bread was too high, He (Mr. Matthews) moved, " That having' heard Mr. Pain, it is resolved that in our opinion the price of bread at present charged by the bakers in Auckland is extreme, and that it is advisable that steps should be taken by means of the co-operation of consumers to ensure a reduction of the price to a fair and reasonable rate." Mr. Bright seconded the motion. He said the oppression, he used the word advisedly, under which this district 'was suffering was due to the fact that some years ago the South, through the instrumentality of Sir Julius Vogel, had succeeded in getting a duty on imported grain and flour. As this district was not a -producing one, the result of this duty was severely felt, most of the grain and flour having to be imported. ■ He described what had been accomplished by the workingmen in Birmingham in connection with the price of bread. They had, he stated, . started a "Bread Club" 40 years ago with a capital of £500 in £1 shares, and when he left England in 1865 he had disposed of his shares for £7 10s each. Hethought the bakers of Auckland were simply cutting their own throats, but he did not blame them so much was the import duty that had caused the trouble. He said that although the people here professed to do a trade with the islands, he had been informed by a man in a position to know' that New Zealand flour could be obtained cheaper at Apia from Sydney than from Auckland. Mr. Levi Stanton also presented a number of figures which he had prepared, but his calculations had been made with, the object of proving that the profits on bread were not excessive. His contention was that with the present prices a master baker after payiftg wages and all expenses would have only 10s 6d per day to himself, and against that allowance had to be put bad debts and losses owing to the credit system. He stated that many of the bakers supplied bread without payment to men who were out of work or ill. They were the most respectable class • of men in Auckland, and he urged everybody to pay them if they could promptly and regularly. He moved as an amendment, "That this meeting approves of the action of the bakers in selling bread at such prices that they can live and pay their way, which every tradesman . should do, selling his goods at the lowest possible profit." The amendment was seconded by Mr. A. COATES. * Mr. J. Cowley also questioned Mr. Pain's figures, and said that if that gentleman came along to his bakery to manage it and would give him £2 a week from the business he could have all the rest of the profits to himself. He denied that the bakers in Auckland were making excessive profits, arguing that their numbers and the keen competition amongst them ensured that the prices should be as low as possible. During the whole of this year he had worked long hours and hard, and an average mechanic ■ would turn up his nose at the wages ho had made. Mr. W. Johnston said he maintained that it was impossible to sell bread at 5d a loaf at the present price of flour, quoting figures to prove that at that price the baking of three tons of flour would mean a loss of £5 10s. A gentleman whose name did not transpire said he had had five or six years' experience of importing flour, and could say that it was as cheap in Auckland as in any other part of the •colony. The price in the South was £12 per ton, and it would cost 15s to bring it here and put it in the Auckland bakehouses. Mr. Hammond said he had had seventeen years' experience of milling, and also denied the accuracy of Mr. Pavn's figure?. On being put Mr. Stanton's amendment was carried by a considerable majority. Votes of thanks to Mr. Pain for the trouble he had taken, and to the chairman, concluded the somewhat lively proceedings, Mr. Pain announcing that he was prepared to back the accuracy of hvs figures for £50.