THE PRICE OF BREAD.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 742, 26 August 1878, Page 2

THE PRICE OF BREAD.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE EVENING MAIL. ■ Sir, —A young consumer, with an unbounded appetite, has just submitted the following proposition to me : Given Flour at LlB, in 1877, and the 41b loaf 9d ; required—the price of the 41b loaf now, when flour is LlO 10s. To stave off further importunity, I adjust my specs with becoming gravity, glance at the questioner, and face the difficulty. In something les3 than a minute the result appears as o£d. My better-half at once 'xclairas, "And we are paying Bd." I sorrowfully admit that it is even so, and am lost in silent wonder and amazement. Nor do-1 now see the solution of the

difficulty. We all know that millers and bakers are so proverbially honest as to be incapable of any other than the noblest philanthropic motives in toiling to minister to the necessities of the rest of man- ; kind, and are quite satisfied witk the smallest possible profit. This jm*' /ave been assured of by themselves and over again, and of course it must be true. But still the enigma remains, and the question stares one rudely in the face— Who pockets the 2|d 1 Please answer. Yours, &c, One who has to Provide fok Ten. | Our correspondent lms put the matter so plainly that the answer to his question must be obvious to everyone.—Ed. E. M.]

TO THE EDITOB OF THE EVENING MAIL. Sib, —With your permission I wish to place once more before the public a case which appeared in your columns some seven months ago. Early in January myself and three others were, without a moment's notice, discharged from the Railway service on the Breakwater for no other reason than that we refused to work all hours without remuneration for our overtime. Immediately upon our discharge we requested a settlement, which was blankly refused until our money should arrive from Christchurch, which we were led to believe would ( be in the course of a fortnight, this was all the satisfaction we could get. In the meantime we must pocket our summary dismissal instead of our hard-earned wages, and wait the will of the magnates of the Railway department. At last, after the lapse of some time, our money arrived and we hastened to the office to receive it when we found it a pound short of the correct sum, accordingly we refused it and decided to sue for our full wages, together with damages for wrongful dismissal. Owing to one vexatious delay and another about five months goes over our heads before we can bring our case before a Court of Justice. At last, however, comes the day and the hour when, armed with the best legal talent in Oamaru" and hopeful of success, wo appear to f)rove our just claims and confidently expect a favorable decision, and at once. But blessed is he who expects little for then he shall never be disappointed. Decision is reserved for a fortnight pending the result of a similar case which is being tried in Dunedin. Altogether about six months pass and at last out' cms-.' is decided and in our favor. We at once repair to the office of our solicitor to get the affair wound \ip. It turns out to lie another Will o' the Wisp, wo are now informed that the Government have given notice of appeal. We naturally turn away in disgust vowing not to go near the office again. However, we resume our nocturnal visits to see if there is any possibility of a settlement and we are told that if wo will accept half the damages awarded they will settle. Now, 1 consider this unjust as well as mean ; however, some of our number agreed to this, and yet there ir, no signs of the department disbursing. Now, what we would wish io Limv i : ; when the Government intend .-;;:..; : hl. with us, or whether they intend >.-. '■fain the money until the inter' s ; ; .wr-;u,ul;ues equal to the capital, when they will b■.•. Ie a position to square off all scire;, without any serious loss. Peradventu.ru, had •-•■■: submitted to their overbearing tyranny we might have been forgiven and taken back to the service, as we observe one of our number reinstated in oiiieu. who, after waiting some S'X months agreed 1.0 take the sum lirst offered. Do the Government take us for serfs ? Assuredly they do, otherwise they would settle our claims without delay. However, if not settled within a very sho-.-t period I intend to take another eoiir.se. Trusting I have not intruded too much'on your space. —I am. &c., An Employee.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE EVENING MAIL. Sir, —You are noted for picking up anything for a local, but you have never picked me up, nor h:is the Inspector of Nuisances ever done so, so far as I know. The " drunks" are " run in " —the police do their duty iu that respect; a stray horse, or some uuliw.'ky cow, dragging »■ tether-rope after her, L quickly " run-in " by another functionary. s Qaite right, too. they are nuisances. But " ine," poor me !" why am I neglected I I am a nuisance, and a dangerous one too ; yet you don'r pick me up ; Policeman X. doesn't pick me up ; and T—s A. quite ignores me. I am left to lie about on the public foolpaths with impunity, to tlvi.danger of life and limb, and no one interferes. Mind you, I have done a good lot of mischief in my time, and will do some in Oamaru before long if you only give in<* time ; but spare me from remorse of conscience, kick me into the gutter, lav Policeman X. on to me ; or, better still, set your numerous readers to put mo anywhere but on the pavement, and you will be doing someone a service. I am, &c, Oranue Peel.