CHEAP BREAD IN LONDON

Taranaki Daily News, 14 November 1930, Page 9

CHEAP BREAD IN LONDON

LOWEST PRICE SINCE 1915. By decision of the baking trade associations; the price of bread in London was reduced on September 19 from 8d to ?id per quartern loaf. So far as the price is determined by trade decisions this has not previously been less than 8d at any time since 1915. Before the war the average price of the quartern loaf was ojjd or 6d. Military and naval operations did not interfere seriously with the provisioning of the civilian population of the country during the first two years of hostilities, but the cost of bread was raised, gradually at first, and then more sharply when toward , the end. of 1916 the food problem became pressing. In the summer of 1917 the price had advanced to Is for the quartern, and Lord Rhondda, who had been appointed Food Controller, took steps to standardise the price of flour in such a way as would enable bread to be sold at 9d. This was done by means of a State subsidy at an estimated cost of £40,060,000 a year. After decontrol the price fluctuated consideiably, but there is now an understanding by which the bakers’ charges are regulated fairly closely by the prevailing cost of the sack of flour. In the last four years the price has variedbetween lOd and Bd. It stood at the latter figuie for a few weeks in 1929, but the more general price was BJd, and twice it was raised to Od. This year’s. movements have been from 9d to 81d m I’ebruaj to 8d in March, to BJd in April, to 8d in July, and to Tld in September.