BAKERS’ CONFERENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 1020, 13 October 1903, Page 2

BAKERS’ CONFERENCE.

UNDERSTANDING WITH MILLERS

ASSOCIATION,

(Per, Press Association.)

Auckland, last night.

The Bakers’ Colonial Conference opened this morning, Mr Kellow (Wellington) presiding. The treasurer’s statement showed a credit balance of £lB 10s. Nonpayment of levies by certain members was severely criticised. Registration was sug gested to enable the Association to enforce payment. Action was deferred t)U qther proceedings in committee. The secretary reported that last year he visited every placo in the colony where two or more bakers had succeeded in forming unions in many districts, but feared some of these were since defunct. He hoped to have done well in Auckland, but excitement over the Milling Trust, the hostile attitude of the publio toward the trust, and lottsrs in the nowspapers created unrest in the trade in Auckland. Ho soon found his efforts here would be useless. The officers of the local union were in touch with the central office, but the conditions existing in Auckland prevented them doing much. New Plymouth he found very satisfactory, Hawera a little disorganised ; the Wellington bakers were alive to their interests, though some out. ting organisations of bakers had been advantageous to individuals ; and the whole trade wero not seeking an exorbitant price for broad, but a fair and reasonable price to enable them to pay the wages demanded by the unions and the awards of the Court. At the Bakers’ Conference, Mr McCarthy said the trade had an understanding with the Millers’ Association, but it was not the agreement or understanding that had been represented to exist through the press. There had been no attempt to combine for the purpose of extortion of any kind, but there was an agreement to prevent abuses such as cutting.

GOVERNMENT TO FIX THE PRICE

OF BREAD.

(Per Press Association.) Auckland, last Dight,

At the Colonial Conference of Master Bakers to day it was decided to nsk the Government to fix the price of bread throughout the colony, the prices fixed for the various centres to be governed by the ruling price of flour in the centres, together with other local circumstances that it might be found necessary to take into consideration. The intention is that the Executive of the Association shall be consulted by the Government with regard to certain arrangements. After adopting this resolution the Conference went into Committee on the whole question.