PRICE OF BREAD

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3014, 27 February 1917, Page 4

PRICE OF BREAD

MASTER BAKERS' DIFFICULTIES.

"Wellington, master bakers are not in agreomeut with the Board of Trade in its determination of the prices to be charged for bread, when certain rates are Used for flour. The members of the Board of Trade are not all in .Wellington now, but one of the members (Mr. Hart) has been in communication with-the bakers, and when the other members return from the north this week the facts presented by the bakers will be examined by the whole board. . In brief, the Wellington bakers contend that the cost of other factors in the production and sale of bread has increased so much as to leave them no profit at all if they adhere to the bread prices suggested by the Board of Trade. It is claimed that coal has increased in price; that the delivery cost, already very heavy' has lately been further increased, and that the -wages of all hands has increased. Christchurch and Dunedin bakers Have informed the Minister (the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald) that they aro content with the prices fixed, but the Wellington bakers Still say that the cost of distribution here is so very heavy that they can not deliver broad at the Board of Trade price. They ask to be allowed to charge rates }dper 41b. loaf more than those fixed (they have already added the id. to their price), and they want to meet the board in conference to show reasons why this extra price ought to he permitted in Wellington.