FLOUR AND SUGAR

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11366, 13 November 1922, Page 5

FLOUR AND SUGAR

ENOUGH BREAD? WELL KNOWN BUSINESS MEN ON POSITION. YEAST ‘FOR BREAD-MAKING. Inquiries over the end of the week by a “Times” reporter reveal that there is little cause for. anxiety in Wellington so far as certain staple articles of food are concerned, vis., flour, sugar and yeast for the bakers for use in making bread. YEAST THROUGH THE BREWERY. Mr T. Madden, of Staples’ Brewery, informed a “Times” reporter that, while they were brewing they could supply all the material that is required by tho bakers to enable them to manufacture yeast for bread, so that in the event of Christchurch supplies not being forthcoming. bread making is not likely, to be held up on this account. Apart from the brewing tho brewery companies do not make yeast for commercial purposes, as it would not pay them to do so. They are brewing at the present time. FLOUR FOR SOME WEEKS OTHER SOURCES AVAILABLE. Mr R. M. Virtue, of Messrs D. W. Virtue and Co,, one "of the largest flour and grain, merchants in the Dominion, states that his firm have no anxiety as to flour supplies for some weexs to come. Some bakere had just stocked up, but the firm can meet requirements for some time to come. Even if supplies ran f-hoit, there are mills at Palmerston, Carterton and Wanganui, and also in between these towns, from which flour could be diverted to Wellington instead of sending it up north, and they could be worked under pressure to increase production, and so meet lequirement6. Therefore, so far as the bread position is concerned, the public need have tittle anxiety, for if the remark of a Harbour official, overheard on Saturday morning, iB any criterion, the trouble will he over long before there is likely to be any shortage of these commodities. AT RESTAURANTS “ENOUGH FLOUR FOR SIX WEEKS.” Mr John Creed, of Messrs and Creed, assured the “Times” man that his firm had flour enough for all requirements for six weeks or more, and also materials for making yeast, the orders having been given for the necessary tubs to use in its manufacture. Their sugar supplies are low, and will -last over Tuesday, hut they have wired to Auckland for a month’s suppily, five tone, and that is expected to arrive in Wellington by train to-morrow. There are good stocks of sugar in Auckland, and the sugar company’s boat only arrived from the Islands with a cargo towards the end of la3t week. “NOT BEEN CAUGHT YET.” ‘‘We have not been caught yet by theso laibour (troubles,” addied Mr Creed. “When the coal trouble was on we purchased a large number of kerosene cookers, so that we did not depend upon the gas supply. Any good business man will find a way of overcoming such difficulties.” TONS OF SUGAR WANTED. One of the largest importing firms of merchants telegraphed to Auckland on Friday for 100 tons of sugar, to be sent down by rail, and this is expected to arrive any day. SEA AND RAIL FREICHTS TRANSPORT OF SUGAR. A HINT TO THE PREMIER. A menTber of another firm which uses a large quantity of sugar and has ordered by rail from Auckland, pointed to a factor which is telling against the railways being more revenue producing. The freight on sugar from Auckland to Wellington -by sea, landed on tho wharf, ie £1 6s 6d per ton, hut by rail the freight is £4 17s 6d per ton. He wondered if Mr Massey knew o| this fact, and suggested that the matter deserved investigation. “No wonder the railways don’t pay,” he concluded, “How can we use the railways when the transport charges are so high compared with the steamers?” GAS AT PETONE NO INCONVENIENCE LIKELY. PLENTY OF COAL AVAILABLE. Petone and Lower Hutt residents will be glad to learn that they are not likely to be -inconvenienced by a short supply of gas, as the manager of the Petone gas works informed a “Times” reporter that the coal in stock would last them from six weeks to two months for gas making, and there would be tho resultant coke for fuel purposes.

“WAR” COAL SUPPLY A HUGE DUMP. Incidentally there are some thorns ands of tons of war coal in a yard along Waterloo Quay. Grass, weeds and lupins seem to thrive on it, and even a tree that is growing through the heap does not seem to have suffered by having coal round its trunk for four or five feet in height. “It would appear as if this huge stock had been overlooked,” said one who accompanied the “Times” reporter, “for it does not look as if it had been drawn upon for a considerable time. It has the appearance of Welsh steam coal, and if so cannot bo improving in quality by this long exposure to the air and rain.” EASTBOURNE FERRIES TRAFFIC AS USUAL. MEN NOT AFFECTED. The ferries, Duchess and Cobar, which run from the w’nnrf near the Customs Office to Eastbourne, Day’s Bay and Ilona Bay, are not affected by tho hold-up. “Tho service of boats will run as usual,” tho assistant traffic manager stated 03 Saturday. The men are not affected by this dispute.