PRICE OF FLOUR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2999, 9 February 1917, Page 6

PRICE OF FLOUR

o THE MAXIMUM AND THE MINIMUM. , In yesterday's Dominion (writes a correspondent.) an authority on the subject sought to dismiss the criticism of a local merchant on the action of the Board of Trade in fixing the price of ilour at £15 per ton f.o.b. in the south, when the ruling rate was los. under that price, b,y stating that the price was the maximum. If that was tiio maximum, and it permitted of a minimum, that defence would serve. "The test of his argument is very simple. Ask him to try and buy llour to-day at anything under the maximum fixed by the Board of Trade. lam afraid lie would find it difficult, if not impossible. And to ensure that southern millers shall get the maximum, tho duty on Australian flour (which was taken .off in order to check the price here) has been reimposed." "This," the correspondent adds, "is the most curious way of decreasing tho cost of living to the people, and tho wonder is thai) tho anomaly does not attract more attention and criticism, for every soul in the community is affected by tho Board of Trade's action. "Again, tho authority mentioned says that llour can be landed here for £15 los. per ton. I say that it costs £15 19s. 3d. to place a ton of flour in a AVellington bakehouse, and that the Board of Trade's f.o.b. price fixed in the south means £16 a ton in sacks here —more, ,of course, for bagged flour."