SALE OF FLOUR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22346, 18 February 1936, Page 10

SALE OF FLOUR

WORKERS DISMISSED ;-/ 1 ! . i ' CLERKS AND SALESMEN ABSORPTION EXPECTED STAFF OF WHEAT COMMITTEE Practically the whole of the sales and clerical staffs of the Northern Roller Milling Company, Limited, have received notice of dismissal following the Government's new policy of controlling the output of flour mills. However, it is hoped this measure will be purely formal, as it is expected that tlje men will be absorbed by the Wheat Committee, which will require a staff. It jis understood about 14 employees are affected. No action has been taken by Bycrofts, Limited, the other principal Auckland flour mill. When the scheme was announced the Minister of Industries and Commerce, " the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, stated that the new organisation would not result in further unemployment and those in the industry have taken this as an assurance that provision 'will be made for those no longer required at the , mills. On the other hand, an Auckland authority on milling said yesterday that he considered probably 50 people throughout the Dominion would lose their positions, as certain economies would have to be effected if grower* were to get a higher price for their wheat and if the price of flour were to be reduced. The flour sub-committee of the Wheat Committee has not yet opened its Auckland office, so that staffing arrangements have not been announced. The Auckland mills' representative on the committee, Mr. J. P. O'Connor, declined to comment yesterday. . Mills are filling orders as usual in the meantime, but accounts will b« sent out by the Wheat Committee when the office is opened. RETAIL PRICE QUESTIOH > AGITATION FOR FIXED RATE 5 [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] "WELLINGTON, Mondiy Since the announcement of the Got* ernment's wheat and flour stabilisation - scheme there has been an agitation that the Government should go further and fix the retail price of flour. The argument is advanced by sections of the retail trade that price-cutting in flour has had a detrimental effect on their business.

The point was referred to the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, and he indicated that it was his Intention to review that aspect of the matter, but not immediately. The Minister said the Government had not set out to deal with all side issues. A large number of suggestions had been presented to the Government for the fixing of prices, but all it had done so far was to fix the price of wheat and flour to bakers. For instance, the price of special kinds of

bread had not been fixed, nor the cost of delivery.

For the present the Government was confining itself to the consolidation of what already had been done and there was a vast amount of work in that, stated the Minister. Other matter! would come up later for attention. At present there were fully 50 questions to which attention had to be given.