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Grey River Argus, Volume XVI, Issue 2045, 26 February 1875, Page 2

The Auckland papers have taken up the question of Uie unreasonable price charged for bread by the bakers, and with the effect of bringing about a reduction in the rate. The "Southern Cross" publishes some calculations which, if they are correct, go to show that the bakers have been making very exhorbitant profits. Our contemporary says :— " Recently the attention if the readers of the ' Cross' was drawn to Ihe fact that a reduction of L 4 per ton in the price of flour had taken place, and * suggestion was made that a corresponding reduction in the price of bread shpnld be made. It is satisfactory to know that some of the bakers have already cone this, Messrs Woodward and Son an, Mr D. Grubb being the pioneers in this •esfeot. To see the large pro tits obtained at the present prices of bread and flour, the following figures may be useful : — A ton of the best flour wil give 27201 bof bread, or 680 four-poun J a

loaves, full weight. It follows, therefore, that a ton of flour, made into bread, and sold at 9d per four-pound loaf, will yield the baker ,£25 10s, or a profit of £12 10s per ton of flour, the price of the best brand being only £13. If the bread were sold at 8d per four-pound loaf, the profit for a ton of flour would be L 9 13---4 d ; if sold at 7d per four-pound loaf, the profit would be ,£16163 8d; and if sold at 6d per four-pouad loaf, the profit would be £A. These are enormous profits, and yet the calculations are based upon the supposition that only the finest flour is used, and no mixing with interior qualities. Fourpence halfpenny is a common price charged for the 21b loaf, some bakers selling it at 4d. This would, perhaps, make the average price of the 41b loaf about B£d, a price which will give the baker at the present price of flour, a. profit of £X\_ 1b 8d per ton of flour used, supposing the profits are not increased by using a portion of an inferior quality of flour. It will be therefore seen, that the , bakers abovenamed are only acting honestly towards the public in reducing the price of the 41b loaf to 7d, which still yields them a profit of £6 16s 8d per ton of flour used for common bread." Making allowance for the difference in the price of flour in Greymonth, the fact that the 41b loaf is here 9d fully balances this, and leaves the question of the fairness of a reduction in the price of bread here just in the same position as it is in Auckland. Will some public spirited Greymouth baker set an example by reducing his price ?