THE PRICE OF BREAD
TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I have read with interest Mr James Reid’s letter on the above question in your issue of the 13th inst., and trust that you will allow me space for a reply, so that I may probably enlighten Mr Reid, who is seemingly under a false impresm°Mr Reid states that he was informed by • man in Cromwell that there had been no reduction in the price of bread there for years. But Mr Reid does not say on •wiiat grounds there ought to be a reduction. Does he know that even in the good times of the spring of 1927 flour cost the baker in Cromwell £l7 10s per ton, and that to-day, with, to use Mr Reid s own words, "cost of production and cost of living and salary reductions,” the same commodity costs £l7 17s 6d per ton. The only difference in cost of production to a baker in Cromwell is a 10 percent, cut in wages, but if Mr Reid would consider that a baker is capable of turning out 1200 loaves per week he would find that a very small fraction indeed could be spread on each individual loaf, even although. the enormous sum of 10s per week is saved on account of a wage reduction. , , ... , , Mr Reid also states that he purchased bread in Dunedin at 9d per loaf, and 1 do not doubt his ability to do so, but at what a cost to Dunedin’s welfare! , Has Mr Reid any idea how many Bakers have been thrown out of work since the mad rush to cut prices in that city began, with the result that the bread business is fast going into the hands of a few, where up-to-date machinery and mass production cut costs to the very minimum—a eastern, that cannot be worked so easily in the country. I could also, however, state cases in Dunedin and suburbs where bread cannot be procured for 9d per loaf. If Mr Reid answers -this letter, as I trust he will, will he tell your readers why, with the cost of production, living and salary reductions, the price of flour should be 7s-6d per ton more than in 1927, and whether the farmer is getting - this extra advantage?—-I am, etc.. Fair Peat.
TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In your issue of the 13th inst., there appeared a letter signed "James Reid,” who states the price at which he purchased bread in various centres. Perhaps he will go a step further and say where, in Ranfurly. he obtained bread at lid per loaf. As a resident, I have never paid less than Is Id, and until recently the price was Is 2d, and always the same price, whether for cash or booked. —I am, etc., Resident. • Ranfurly,. January 14.
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Bibliographic details
Otago Daily Times, Issue 21544, 16 January 1932, Page 14
Word Count
468THE PRICE OF BREAD Otago Daily Times, Issue 21544, 16 January 1932, Page 14
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