THE DAILY LOAF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14567, 2 January 1911, Page 8

THE DAILY LOAF.

COUPON SYSTEM DISCARDED.

The coupon system of payment for bread, adopted by Wellington bakers two years ago, is being discarded by a number of tradesmen. When the coupon method came into use, Wellington was the second place in New Zealand to take it tip, and the bakers met their customers' protests with a declaration that it was worth the trouble because the disappearance of long credit and bad debts would make bread cheaper. So the customers paid for their bread in advance, and handed out coupons daily to the delivery man. At least, this, was how the system was expected to work, but what really happened was that the coupon, elusive as a tram ticket when wanted, could not be found at the right time, the baker was ufiked to "wait until to-morrow," and a memo, had to be made of what was equivalent to a credit. "It's all right with business people to deal with, but you know what the ladies are," remarked a leading Wellington baker, who lias given up the coupons. "After a few weeks of coupons, wo were back again to the old credit system, only it was worse. A customer who was out. two or three days during the week would dispute at the settling up, and sooner than lose the customer we lost the loaf. I have 1500 customers, and never lost much by bad debts. It is a load off my mind to get back to the old way of weekly accounts."