THE PRICE OF BREAD.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 360, 2 April 1903, Page 5

THE PRICE OF BREAD.

TO THE EDITOE. Sir,—ln reply to " Ishmaelite," I may mention that I gave a straight--forward, honest statement in my last letter. He says that when flour was £8 bread was 6d, but when bread was reduced to 6d flour was £7 10s, and from some millers even less. Probably he will remember also that, owing to another baker commencing business in this district, there was more opposition No doubt Mr Nevin or the Millers' Association could tell " fshmaelite" how much they got for flour used then, while I will'plainly show by the following that bakers were then better off than at present. He says flour £l2 10s, bread -93, as per telegram, wherpas my last letter showed the price to be £l3 10s, which red aces the extra profit of 43 15s by £l. While bread is now H reduction of-1 £2 15s. per ton (not £2 12s as.-" Ishmaelite " figures it), and'los off his £8 when bread was 6d.makes a. total! of £4 ss, against his surplus profit of £3 15s. I wilLfurther add >that I am using flour which cost no less than £l6 per ton (still a little more to be deductedfrom the £3 1.55). Yet we are told it is a boon for bakers when the price of flour is raised! I'm afraid "Ishmaelite" received his information from " the man in the street." So cheap flour was offered by a miller in this district? -That miller never called on me, and I had not even heard of him, so I may confidently deny that assertion. " Ishmaelite " gives the reason of our not taking flour from him as his not belonging to the Miller's Association. Well, I have had Manitoba flour, Dunedin flour and ILakes district flour, but not a bag of Association flour; and I never had, for the millers with whom I have dealings do not belong to it. Malt flour is not used for the.purpose be would have believe, for when they know that it costs 8d per lb in Dunedin, it can only be used sparingly, merely as a'help to fermentation-r-taking a good deal the place of potatoes. —I am, <fec, Alex Kilgour. P.S.—I will not reply to further correspondence unless " Ishmaelite" gives his name. Then we will understand his motive.—A.K,