A MUNICIPAL BAKERY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2740, 7 April 1916, Page 5

A MUNICIPAL BAKERY

IS BREAD TOO DEAR? LIVELY DISCUSSION BY THE | COUNCIL "The committee have to report that they' have received .particulars and estiniates'for the erection of an automatic bakery, and they have" authorised tho City Engineer to make further inquiries into details with the view to the establishment of a muuicipal bakery." The foregoing paragraph, which appeared in tho report of the Finance Committee, presented to the Cjty Council last evening proved to be an innocent little clause that was "loaded." Tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) introduced the discussion by stating that very oareful consideration would have to be given to all matters effecting new works brought before the council, 'whether it was through the council, the committees, or through outside pres'sure. The City Engineer's staff had been almost entirely depleted of men with a knowledge of a technical side iof the work owing to the war, and was finding it difficult to carry out much in tho way of new works. Mr. Morton was quito able to carry out the ordinary work of City maintenance effectively, so long as there was' no technical knowledge or skill in planning needed. He had much pleasure in moving the clause,' respecting the municipal automatic bakery. Mr. Morton had submitted plans and a rough estimate of the cost, and it was now for the coun'cil to! say whether they would take further action and authorise Mr. Morton to get into touch with the experts to determine _ whether the City Council would supervise the matter,, or it might ho necessary to get a firm to do the whole thing. _ They were all agreed that the automatic bakery should be erected on the site of the old carshed in Adelaide Road. He thought they were thoroughly' justified in carrying on the work, as it was, in his opinion, in the' best interests of the .people that there should not) be a 'monopoly, but that they should workBide by side in competition in the production of a primary food at a reasonable price, and under the best conditions. Councillor Fuller asked the Mayor if he thought a monopoly meant cheaper, ..bread. ' *"' The Mayor could not say if that was the case. Councillor G. Frost said he waß pleased that the council was taking this step. The price of bread was far too high at the present time. , ' " Councillor' T. , Bush said that the question of a municipal automatic bakery had. been.raised two or three times, but whenever he had asked for information there had been winks and bland smiles Was the council really in earnest in the matter? ' Councillor Fuller: "Take a vote and 6ee!" The Mayor said that Councillor Bush could divide the council on the adoption of the clause to see if the council was serious or not. Councillor Bush said that the'council had ventured on another commercial undertaking. His reference was to the municipal toy called the fish market. It _ seemed to him that if they were going at the bread in the same "way a 6 they went at the fish market, tho ratepayers were going to'suffer.. The loss Dn the fish market had amounted to" £200 a year. He would move that a vote of. the council be taken ;on the quostiori of deleting from the clause all .Words after."automatic bakery." Councillor A. Veitch seconded the amendment. He > had ' always thought that the "council was not serious in the'' matter. The question Was: Were they getting good bread? In his opinion the Wellington bread was ns good as any in the world. Were the£ paying an exorbitant price? (Voices: "Yes.") He did not think so. Besides it had been pointed out that the City Engineer could not undertake new works owing to his staff having been depleted. He thought a movement of this kind at the present was out of place. '•...' Councillor J. Hutcheson pointed out Hurt.taking the resolution as it read, it did not express a definite intention of going on with the work, but the mention of the employment of experts went further. The committee only reported in favour of the Engineer making further inquiries. If it were confirmed, the resolution was quite harmless and innocuous... He would like to see something done, to prevent a combine (that there was a combine he was quite certain), but he would sooner stay up all night and make damper than he would eat some bread. ' _ Councillor Luckie agreed with Councillor Hutchoson that the resolution only committed the council to make further inquiries. In his opinion there was no doubt that Wellington" was paying too much for its bread. The Commonwealth was selling enormous quantities of wheat to the Imperial authorities at the reasonable price of ss. perbushel, and they had gono farther than wo had in fixing a maximum price for certain commodities. ' The price of bread' was far higher than it should be. Formerly there used to be eight or ten bakeries in Wellington, now the Automatic Bakery Company, sold'tho bread 1 s to them, so that they could keep up" their connections. The ordinary re-' suit of automatic bakeries should be a reduction in the price, as it certainly Bffected economies, but the public was not getting the benefit of that reduciion. Councillor Fuller pointed out that the istabhshment of monopolies did not necessarily mean reductions, and mentioned the enormous profits that were being made by the tramways and electric lighting departments, yet tho council was . loath to make reductions. The council and others . had got the wrong idea as to how to reduce tho cost of living, and he advocated the setting upj'of commissions, -which would have the right of appraising acomnany's assets, and taking into consideration the cost of flour and expenses, and should have power to say: You must Bell at such-and-such a price. Councillor W. Hildreth justified the loss on the fish market by sayiug that the public had got the benefit of it by being able to purchase fish SO per cent, cheaper than in tho shops. He thought the price of bread was too high. . Councilor J. E. Fitzgerald thought it was the duty of the council to break down monopolies. Councillor L.' M'Kenzic said that after Councillor Frost had first moved in the matter the price of bread went down. Now it was selling at 4J-d. a loaf, butter was at an extortionate price, and now they were faced with another rise in milk. He said it was not any encouragement to recruiting for a man thinking of going to the front to ftriit to see what had to he faced by those he left behind.

On the amendment being put it was lost by ten votes to two. and the clause went through in its entirety.