MINISTER’S DESIRE

Hokitika Guardian, 25 January 1929, Page 7

MINISTER’S DESIRE

NON-INTIMIFERENCE WITH PRI-

VATE ENT FR PRISE

Jii tlie course of un address given at the opening ut tke Con fere nee of Makers and Pastry Cooks Association at ChrisLciiurch on Tuesday the Hon. J. G. Cobbe (.Minister for Industries and Commerce) said lie would not be one to interfere with legitimate private enterprise. He believed in private enterprise and believed that a man running his own business was better qualified to deal with it than any Government. He said that as .Minister of Industries and Commerce be was very pleased to be with them and to eonvov to them the best wishes of the Government for the success of the conference. He had been so recently appointed to the Ministry that, lie could hardly claim to have any knowledge of tfieir past activities, hut he was aware of the close relations between the Department and the linkers, and of the fact that for many years past his Department had been officially represented generally through the secretary, at the annual conference. Mi Collins had accompanied him and would stay and hear some of tilt debates and report to the speaker on his return to Wellington.

Soon after taking office, said Mr Cobbe, he was informed that the bakers’ trade was most progressive that competition was particularly keen for (business, and that little or no complaint had been made to the Department as to the price or as to the quality of bread. He was pleased to learn of the progress that was being made and of the fact that some of the .master bakers had spent thousands of pounds on improvements in plant, and that there was generally a marked tendency among the linkers to supply consumers wtitli n loaf of first-class quality. In this direction lie knew that the flourmillers of the Dominion were doing their host to'supply the bakers with flour of a good baking quality, but despite their clforts the facts showed that we were still importing fairly large quantities of wheat and Hour from Australia and flour from C anada. The quantities for the year ended December 31 aggregated r ‘ (>I,OOO bushels of wheat and short tons of flour, and the explanation given to him was that master linkers found it necessary to add a percentage erf overseas flour to the domestic flour in order to give the loaf required for their customers.

Knowing that the wheat farmers of the Dominion are able to supply all Hie wheat necessary for the milling trade,” added Air Cobbe, ‘‘this importation is lather suprising, but itis no doubt fully explained by the desire of the linking trade to assure a quality product. Air Collins informs me that it is the policy of your association to give preference wherever possible to New Zealand products, but owing to short supply of the harder and stronger varieties of wheat it is necessary to import some wheat or Hi,UP from outside sources in order to maintain fl high stamhml of bread quality: 1 am hopeful that, as a result of the establishment: of the Wheat Research'lnstitute, till* attains of wheat grown in 'New Zealand will be so improved as to give master bakers precisely the class of flour required. No doubt you will be discussing the work of the institute, and Dr Marsden, Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, who is with us to-day, will probably take part ir. your discussions.” Ho understood that ill certain districts competition in bread prices had been such ps to leave little margin available to muster bakers. While be was a firm believer in the benefits ol sane and reasonable competition it was not to the benefit either of producers or consumers that any section ol the community should he urtJM’cted to give honest and efficient service without adequate and fair remuneration, be Imped that the interests of consumers would be fairly considered, but that some means would he found by tf|o bakers’ organisation to eliminate competition based upon the working of unduly long hours, low quality of output and perhaps light-weight bread.

“Willi some trepidation as a new .Minister,” said Mr (.'oldie, “T hesitate to touch upon the question of the hotter distribution of broad, but I know it is generally admitted in the trade itself that the cost of distribution is extremely high Any improvements which can be effected in relation to actual cost of production may. I believe. be 'relatively unimportant compared with the savings which I am inclined to think could be made if the distribution, particularly in the main centres, were better organised. My Department informs me that the cost of distribution often runs as high as Id per ‘2lb loaf, and in some cases this figure is exceeded. When we consider this cost, in comparison with the cost of ma.iii items, namely, the flour it.selt its importance becomes most marked If your conference, therefore or your local associations could find some method of establishing a better organised distribution. I am sure they would be doing excellent work in the interests of the trade and of the public, f do not profess to have any personal knowledge of I lie possibilities in this collection, though T recognise that, the individual preferences of cosuniors are largely responsible lor the ovcilappiug and waste!nl methods at picsent, in existence. I hope I shall not he presuming too far in suggesting that vour conference or your districtorganisation might well give very careful thought to this mattei. 1 would also like to comment very briefly

upon the attempts that have been made in the past by your organisation to hold exhibitions'of bake-house products. At times criticism has been voiced as to the quality of bakers’ products in New Zealand, but I believe that definite and substantial ground exists for suggesting that this critie.isin is no longer valid. I believe that siieii exhibitions are highly educational and beneficial, and mark the progress made from year to year in your industry. I sincerly hope that this excellent means of propaganda will be continued in the future, and that you will correlate with your products tiio showing of the products ol the wheat-farmer, the miller and other allied industries. In this work my Department will he pleased to co-operate with your association.” Tiie Minister expressed the hope that 1 tic goad relations which had existed between the employees and employers would continue in the future. The master bakers would no doubt agree with him that nothing could Lend more to the success ol their businesses than in encouraging their workers 111 studying their comfort, and generally in giving them a ‘‘lair deai.” On the other hand, the workers must continue to work loyally for their employers and give them the very best service.