THE PRICE OF BREAD.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14154, 17 April 1916, Page 2

THE PRICE OF BREAD.

FARMERS PLEAD "NOT GUILTY."

Mr. John Tarbot, chairman of the Timaru branch 'of the Farmers' Union, informed that body {says the "Lyttelton Times") that he had given evidence at the inquiry held by the Board of Trade in Timaru. He bad stated that wheat was now about 4s 9d and flour about £1.2 a ton. There did not seem a great discrepancy between- the price of wheat and the price of flour. The discrepancy was between the cost of flour and the price of bread. A ton of flour produced 640 loaves, which sold at nearly double the cost of the flour used to make them. The. fault lay in the cV-stribution. Wheat on the Londov. market was 8s '&%& bread sold .at 7Jd. Mr Hart .said that when flour was £18 a ton, bread sold at 10d. and there was not a proportionate decrease in the present price of bread. Tho chairman said that if the price of wheat were to be fixed by tlie Government the minimum should bu 4s 6d, as it would not pay to grow it for less. Mr M'Combs had stated that,; judging from past experience it would.| pay farmers-to grow wheat at 4s, 'but Mr M'Combs did not take into account that the cost of production had nearly doubled. Mr Radford said that in view of the increase of tho frozen meat, industry, wheat growing would soon be abandoned by many farmers. ,'. Speaking at .another stage of tho meeting, Mr Talbot remarked that farmers should not be too eager to put their wheat on the market. Five shillings should bo got for it but the position was doubtful. He did not suppose that such o. large area would be sown down in wheat next year. If this years crop had been normal, there would hare boon two or three irillion bnshe's, to export, and as there would have been no means of exporting it all, the price would have been about 2s 6d a 'bushel. It was a question on which farmers should go easy. ''Fore-warned, fore-armed." —Addison. ■; Those who heed timely advice and] obtain a bottle of Baxter's Lung Preserver will be amply fortified when, winter colds make their attack. Nothing is better as a preventative of, or remedy for, coughs, colds, sore throat, chest and bronchial complaint. "Baxter's" is also a fine stimulant to tho system. A critical public has been nrpving the truth of this for over fifty years. Big bottle Is lOd, all chemists and storekeepers.