THE PRICE OF BREAD.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 944, 19 February 1917, Page 8

THE PRICE OF BREAD.

WELLINGTON BAKERS' ACTION. MATTER TO BE INVESTIGATED. The attention of the Minister for Agriculture (Hon. \V. D. S. MacDon- | aid) was drawn by a representative of the Wellington" 'Tost" on Saturday to the estimates of the 1916-17 ! wheat and oats harvest. These show, roughly, a deficiency of 2,000.000 bushels of wheat, and a similar shortage of oats, when compared with the actual yields of 1915-16. The position 'is as follows: j Wheat. Out*. Yield. Bushel*. Bushels. 'Actual 1915 jr. .. .. T.IOXJIGO T.KH^S ilMininted I9IG 17 .. 5,100,000 .".,000,004 1,708,360 2.053^03 Roughly speaking, there is a shortage of 2,000,000 bushels each on the estimated yield of wheat and oats I compared with the actual yields of : last harvest. | The Minister was, of course, seized * ; with the importance of the figures, but he was by no means pessimistic. \ There would be a shortage, he believed. At the same time the showing ! might be much better when all the threshing returns were in. The Government was fully alive to the situaj tion, and would take what steps might be necessary to meet it. The I actual yield might be very much in | excess of the estimates, and until that i was known there was nothing further to be said at the moment. j v Would a shortage, if such should be the result of the final threshings, ■ be met by the lifting of the duty on I wheat and flour, or either of them? The Minister saw no necessity for j suspension of the duty. The position las revealed by the statistics was I quite clear to the Government, and •whatever practical steps were neces- \ sary to meet it would be taken. The action of the Wellington master bakers in raising the price of bread as from Saturday to lid per 41b loaf delivered, lOd cash over the ■ counter, and lOd less 2* per cent dlsi count to hotels and restaurants, was also referred to the Minister. He expressed his surprise at the increase, seeing that the price of flour had been fixed at £1"» per ton, f.o.b. "The ; bakers have evidently not adhered to I their undertaking to supply bread on i prices governed by the price of flour. j Even at £l6 per ton f.o.b. the underI taking was that the price of bread should not exceed Bid per 41b loaf * '! cash over the counter, and lOd deliv- | ered. Now you say they are charging lid delivered?"

"That is what is officially advertised."

"Very well. Why, even with flour at £l6 iO7- f.o.b. bread was to be lOd delivered. The bakers have not kept the agreement that they made themselves. I will get into touch with Mr Hart, of the Board of Trade, and have the whole matter investigated. It is a surprise to me to learn that lid is to be charged for bread delivered while flour remains at £ls per ton f.0.b."