WHEAT AND FLOUR

Otago Witness, Issue 3443, 9 March 1920, Page 13

WHEAT AND FLOUR

I' :?• PROPOSED PEGULATTONS. g.i (From Our Own CoKRESi-ONDENT.) vi CHRISTOHURCH, March 1. Subject to the approval of the Government, the following prices of flour, bran, and pollard have been arranged with the Board of Trade, and will be gazetted in a few days:—Flour: 2001 b sack, £lB per ton; 1001 b sack, £l9 10s; 501 b, £2O; 251 b, £2l. Wheatrheal: Same mices as above. Bran: 1801 b bags, £7 per ton, 1001 b, £7 15s. Pollard: 2Oolb saok, £9 per ton; 1401 b, £9 10s. The proposed regulations will provide that booking beyond 30 days from receipt' of order will be prohibited, and present contracts will be automatically cancelled, the month's delivery to be from the first to the last day of each month, > 2% per cent, discount being allowed on the tenth day of the month following instead of the 20tii as hitherto. If not paid by that date accounts will be strictly net. . AUCKLAND, March 1. The Prime Minister states, with reference to the increase in the price of bread, that the new scheme, will, not be finally determined until he discusses the matter with the Board of Trade on his return to Wellington. The Board of Trade has evidenly_ sanctioned, &,s from to-day, an increase in the price of flour by £3 a ton, and in the price of bread by 2d per 41b loaf. It also agrees that the subsidy to millers shall be continued at the present rate of £2 17s od a ton. -';. The question whether consent had actually been' g.ven was referred to the Hon. Mr Massey, who is president of the Board of Trade, last evening. He. stated that the increase will not be definitely settled until he discusses the matter with the board. INCREASE IN PRICES SANCTIONED., WELLINGTON, March 4. ;. ; The decision of the Government with regard to increases to be made in prices of bread and flour, in consequence of the increase in the price of wheat, was made known by the Prime Minister.,, "The increase of one penny per 21b loaf recently announced is not sanctioned, nor will the price fat flour be allowed to rise by £3 per ton. The increases are to be exactly half these amounts. Cabinet yesterday sanctioned the following prices:—For the year ending February 28, 1921, flour £l6 10b per ton, f.0.b., Lyttelton, Timaru, and Oamaru, other places plus transportation charges. The price of flour up till now has been £ls per ton, bran £7, and pollard £9, f.0.b., same ports, and an increase in bread prices of id per 21b loaf, and. Id per 41b loaf, over the prices fixed last year by the Board of Trade. These prices will operate forthwith. The subsidy to millers ha s been fixed, and arrangements made to ensure that*the public will receive the benefit as far as the carry over from last year's supply is concerned. OBJECTIONS BY BAKERS TO PRICES. WELLINGTON March 5. The new pi-ices o§ flour and bread, sanc : tioned by the Government, for year ending February 28 next, were considered by the Wellington Master Bakers' Union last night. It was decided that to make bread at the new prices fixed by Cabinet would mean a loss which bakers could not bear. Mr W. *A. Kellow, managing director Of the New Zealand Automatic Bakeries, interviewed, said that Wellington bakers simply could not make bread at the new prices. "If the prices are gazetted it will mean we will have to close down; Wellington will then be without bread, but every endeavour is being made to seek an interview with the Prime Minister to-day, and there is hope that we will be met in such a manner as to prevent our closing down. As -he prices of bread have been fixed, we are unable to increase the price of bread to the amount which will pay us." Mr Massey told a reporter that he had not received any communication from the master bakers. He hoped the bakers would not go so far as to stop the output. CHRIST'CHURCH, March 5. „ The Canterbury Master Bakers' Association have decided not to accept the new bread prices, and will give notice to the publio accordingly. The president says the Board of Trade had previously given semiofficial assurances that the bakers could go ahead on the basis of Is per 41b loaf, and now claimed that they had been unfairly treated. It is stated that the bakers do not intend to" bake bread at the .price fixed. AUCKLAND, March 5. In regard to bread prices, the secretary of the Auckland Master Bakers' Association stated that the Government's new prices

have been accepted under protest, and pending negotiations with Cabinet. He declined to make any further statement until a definite decision had been reached. NEW PLYMOUTH, March 5.

Dissatisfaction at the new prices of bread was expressed by the chairman of the Taranaki Master Bakers'' Union at a meeting of the local bakers held to-night. The proceedings were not open to the press, but a reporter was assured that the local bakers were prepared to support the Wellington bikers and stop making Ibread. It wa 9 hoped that if fresh. representations were to be made to the Government, a deputation representative of the whole dominion should go to Wellington to confer with the Prime Minister.