RELIEF FOR BAKERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23274, 17 February 1939, Page 12

RELIEF FOR BAKERS

COUNTERING HIGH COSTS NO RETURN OF STALE BREAD ADJUSTING FLOUR PRICES £BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION'] WELLINGTON, Thursday Stating the reason for regulations gazetted to-day prohibiting the return of stale bread to bakers by retailers, the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, said that for some time past representations had been made by the New Zealand Master Bakers' r Federation for some measure of relief to bakers to compensate them for costs.

"An extensive investigation has just been completed by the department," said the Minister. "The result shows that while costs vary very considerably as between individual bakers and as between difFerent cities and towns, nevertheless costs generally speaking have increased to some extent, principally due to wage increases. The Government has decided to grant relief to bakers to this extent. The proposals, which will be put into effect immediately, do not involve any increase in the price of bread to the public. "The position will bo met in two days—firsii, by an adjustment of •flour prices charged to bakers and by the removal of certain anomalies which hsive existed in respect of bakers in certain places as regards the relation of bread prices to flour prices; and secondly, by,the passing of regulations prohibiting the return of stale bread to bakers. The gain which will accrue to bakers generally from such regulations, together with adjustments and the removal of the anomalies referred to, will be sufficient to compensate them for the cost increases and will remove certain disparities which have existed in -the relative position of bakers in different parts of the country. "The regulations will have the effect of f making the return of stale bread to bakeris an offence," said the Minister. "The public need not fear that the new regulations will adversely affect the service given by bakers, either toi retailers or to the public, or that the ability of either to obtain their fulli requirements of bread will be impaired in any way."