THE PRICE OF BREAD

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10541, 18 March 1920, Page 7

THE PRICE OF BREAD

(To the Editor "N.Z. Times.") Sir,—Kindly permit me spaco in your columns to protest against the action of the niaßter bakers in raising tho price of bread. Many different estimates nave been given by correspondents regarding the cost of production and distribution. As a baker of many years experience as master and journeyman I submit the following figures, and I will take- as a basis a baiter turning out 5000 21b loaves a week at 5Jd delivered. The total amount the master baker would .receivo would be JEIH lis Bd, and the total expenses against this amount would be as follow:

.Return of Sacks at Is 6tl each amounts to d£2 15s 6d. This amount easily covers the flour used at tables in preparing the broad.

Therefore this shows a margin to tho master baker nt the oid price of .£2l 5a Bd. Now, add the recent rise of M 10s per ton, which will amount to £ri 2s Gd. thus still leaving him » margin of £\6 ,1s 2d for ono week's work. The anxiety caused by competition induces the masters to give too much credit io t.ho customers, thus ranking tho man win will pay, pay for the man who will not pay. . SPOT CASH.

THE STRINGER' REPORT (To the Editor "N.Z. Times.") Sir,—With rcgaid to the statement appearing in Mr Justice Stringer s report and again in the statement issued tattle Minister for Hallways, that the wages and conditions set out by the'department had been agreed to by the rsew Zealand Locomotive .Engineers . Firemen and Cleaners' Association and embodied in tho .Railway Act of 1919, I desire to state that this is not according to fact. The locomotive men's association had not agreed to the wages or conditions proposed and this was well known to Judge Stringer and is well known to tho Minister for Railways. Statements of this kind do not tend towards a peaceful settlement of the difficulty Further, I would like to.draw-the attention of the public to the statement of wages put -in bv the Minister for Railways as affecting a first-class' locomotive engineer. The department states that the average per week for thirty-six weeks ending February 14th, 1920, was .£6 Os sd. At tho rate of 16s 6d per day, as stated, these typical cases worked seven days or all night work on each of these weeks to make this sum of money. The men are compelled to work unless they produce sufficient proof that they are too ill to work so that this overtime worked is not of their own volition. However, in stating their case to Judge Stringer the department gave the average for one montn as .€lB Is, and now a public statement appears making tho wages £2A Is 8d fox a month of four weeks. Which statement is correct? Possibly the typical cases - from "the department's view suits the public ibest, instead of the average for ail. The statement appearing in the papers of the average _ wage paid shows pointedly that something must., be dono to relieve the men who are doing such long hours oTi duty and this can only be done by getting more men and stopping the retirements. However, at this stage Ido not desire to make any comments, but think it advisable for the statements appearing •in newspapers to be correct and not so as to inflame the minds of tho men any more than can- be helped. W. McAHLBY, General Secretary.

£ s. d. Foreman baker, 'Deluding bonus 4s 4 9 0 Second ba.kor, includins: bonus 4s 8 19 0 11 5 0 10 0 1 0 0 1 .5 0 3 3 0 10 0 1 10 0 10 0 63 15 0 93 6 0