DELIVERY OF BREAD

Chronicle (Levin), 10 January 1947, Page 4

DELIVERY OF BREAD

Not Favoored by Levin Bakers The resumption of bread deliveries in Levin is unlikely- Asked yesterday whether, in view of reports from other eentres forecasting a possible change in, attitude, there was any likelihood of at return to the pre-war praetice of house-to-house deliveries in Levin, the managers of local establishments replied that they still considered such a step uneconomical in view of existing conditions. There was no suggestion of a chailge ih policy in reyard to out-of-town deliveries. They had been maintained throughout the war and would continue. Such customers were placed in a different positlon as they were isolated from alternative sourees of supply and placed large and permanent orders, but deliveries locally would not compensate for the expense entailed. Besides the initial outlay of a sum in the- vicinity of £800 each for vans necessary . to maintain the deliveries, it would" cost 6s an hour to keep each vehicle on the road— - all for the return of id a loaf. Even then, they maintained, there was no guarantee that householders would co-operate and take bread regularly, in view of the fact that they could obtain their bread from nearby stores or bring it from town and thus save the delivery fee. Bakers would be dependent en- , tirelv on the few who found it more ! convenient to have a 6d loaf de- ' livered each day. Those wlio took larger quantities. would naturally consider it more economical to buy from their "corner store," said one baker, who added that he considered those who delivered would be "merely eatching the crumbs." j The flnancial return for the service would "not even approaeh the wages they were forced to pay the , driver of the vehicle under. the I existing wage scale," he contended. j The whole trouble lay i-n the fact i that too many shopkeepers were stocking bread. It was the fault of . the large baking establishments i who had originally fostered the i supplying of stores with bread and ! now found that they themselves

were being "choked out." 'The stores were taking the biggest part of the trade. They had "created their own problem," he contended.; "No successful baker delivered bread even before the war," claimed the manager of another lpcal firm. It had never been a profita'ole enterprise. He estimated that if he put vans on the road he would be delivering approximately 200 6d loaves a day, which, on a fortyhour week, he considered an uneconomical undertaking. To make delivery pay he considered the Price Tribunal should agree to a flat delivery charge of 2s a week to each customer, other- 1 wise the householder who took a quantity of bread was paying for those who required only one or two loaves. j The price of bread had remain-, ed stable throughout the war years in spite of higli overhead costs to j the industry, which was more than I could be said for other commodi- ! ties such as eggs. If the people j wanted bread delivered they should , be prepared to pay for it, he added. Butchers and grocers were con- , tinuing to deliver but they v/ere in 1 a different category as their goods might range from 15s upwards and eonsequently delivery was to them a paying proposition.