THE PRICE OF BREAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20930, 21 July 1931, Page 13

THE PRICE OF BREAD.

Sir,—Can the Governmeht be asked to furnish the suffering populace with a return showing -the annual gathering of wheat duties ? May we assume that this swelling of the exchequer caused our astute legislators to vote an increase of their own wages? J. A. Burnett.

, Sir,—The thanks of the community/ are due to you for your continued efforts to lower the price of bread. There is, however, one important argument that lias not been sufficiently emphasised, namely, that it affects chiefly people of sntall incomes and large families. They have to consider every penny, and as cooking means expense in coal" or gas, bread is the principal food. Their bread bill is therefore much larger in proportion than that of people who are better off, and who are able to indulge in if more 'varied diet. This was impressed on me years ago by a daily worker with growing boys, who told me her bread cost her about 10s weekly, whereas my bread bill was two or three shillings only. By the present method the wheat-grower is subsidised largely at the expense of New Zealand's growing children; dear bread being, in fact, a form of direct taxation on those least able to afford it. 1.8.