PRICE OF BREAD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21033, 23 May 1930, Page 7

PRICE OF BREAD.

THE BAKER’S VIEWPOINT. HEAVY COST OF PRODUCTION. (Special to Daily Times.) INVERCARGILL, May 22. It was announcd from Dunedin to-day that the bakers of that city had agreed to increase the price of bread by one penny per loaf. The price had previously been lOd per loaf over the counter, and the increase was not caused by any increase in the cost of manufacture, but was stated to be due entirely to a reversion from unwarrantable price cutting.The manager of one of the principal baking concerns in Invercargill, who was interviewed to-day regarding the matter, said: “ I had not heard of the increased price, but I knew it had to come. We are selling bread over the counter at Is per 41b loaf, and that does not give us any margin. Flour has just been increased by 10s per ton, and that means that we will now have to increase our price by a halfpenny a loaf. The increase ot Ills per ton may hot justify a halfpenny rise, but the bakers in the city must increase their margin. The position at present is that other lines have to carry the burden of the bread, and the bakers who are not in a large way are having a very hard time. When it becomes known that the price of bread is to be increased by a halfpenny for the 41b loaf,” he continued, . **“ ere be something nearly approach- “« * revolution, and the unfortunate bakers will pe called hard names. . The -bakers will be increasing the price of their bread by one-eight of a penny per pound, and the public will regard if as a crime, but the butchers can increase the price of meat by eight times as much aud nothing is said about it. Flour costs about fl per ton more in Invercargill than in Dunedin, and the price here is the same t.s in Wellington, but bread is * v , loaf dearer Wellington. Another Interesting point is the fact that flour Which costs under £ll per ton in Melbourne costs over £lB per ton in Invercargill, but the price of bread is the same in both centres. The public of Invercargill does not realise it, but it has been getting its bread at very near cost Another thing which causes unfavourable comment," the speaker continued, “ is the cost of the delivery of breach We charge Id per loaf and it sounds a great deal, but it actually costs 4d a loaf to A 6003 man will driver only bw loaves a week, because it is mostlv in half or quarter-loaves. Half a loaf is delivered for a halfpenny, and what carrier would deliver anything for that amount?” /