DEARER BREAD

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 102, 2 May 1930, Page 8

DEARER BREAD

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Some oE youn correspondents are getting away from the point under discussion, which is the price of bread in, Wellington. I cannot tell Mr. Macdonald why bakers'' windows in Dunedin are placarded with bread at 9%d per loaf. The contributing factor may be.that the. cost of production in the Southern Cityis, less ,than in Wellington, ft is known,, for instance, that rents are much lowei< iv Dunedin than in Wellington and in other matters Dunedin may be more fortunately circumstanced. I can say this, however, tliat the piaster bakers iii Wellington could sell direct to the public ov&r the counter, on a strict cash basis, at ftl per 21b loaf, if it was possible to reach the whole oC the consumers iv this way. In answer to "Cqres," I have, mude references to the price of flour in New Zealand. It did not appear necessary to refer to the price of wheat, as we are . not millers, but bakers and, as such, have to accept flour at the miller's price, iv much, the same way that a retail boof; salesman has to pay the price required by the hoot manufacturer. The retail salesman has no control over the price ot' hides and the tanning thereof into leather and, except in the cases of large concerns that manufacture and retail, no control in the manufacturing cost of boots. If, as "Ceres" says, the Reform, United, and Labour Parties are bolstering up the price of wheat, it would appear to he too big a problem- for the master bakers to tackle. lam glad to have the admission that tile price of bread is largely governed by the price of flour. I have been attempting to make this point myself. . The views expressed by "Fair Play" are, undoubtedly, true. It is incumbent upon consumers to meet their obligations to the suppliers. The majority are conscious of their. duty but, unfortunately, a proportion are careless in this direction. If a system of cash trading ■ could be introduced, the public would, reap a direct benefit.—l am, etc".. . H. COX, Master Baker.