OUR DAILY BREAD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 399, 7 April 1908, Page 3

OUR DAILY BREAD.

The Cash or Coupon System. Much controversy has taken place at Hastings over the cash and coupon system adopted by the bakers. The price adopted by the Hastings bakers is sj4d the 2lb loaf if the coupons are purchased, or 4d per alb loaf in cash. We have been asked to publish some of the opinions expressed per medium of the local paper on the subject, but space will not permit reproducing the letters in extenso : “Pater” writes: Canyon or they (the bakers) tell me why I should pay for my loaf in advance or why cash at the door is not as good as in the form of a ticket ? Will the baker pay the tradesmen they deal with in advance? Will they pay the blacksmith for a dozen sets of shoes in advance, also their, coachbuilder, saddlers, bootmaker, and others similarly situated ? I think not. Then why should they demand payment in advance ? Another thing, it comes hardest on those least able to afford it, namely, those who perhaps cannot afford to pay 3s 6d in advance. lam quite willing to pay cash at the door for my bread, and intend to tender my baker at the rate of per loaf when he comes at the beginning of the month, and I hope others will do the same, as well as provide themselves wilh-a small quantity of flour in case of a refusal. “Twist” says;—l, like a great many more, think that it is high time a co-operative bakery was started here. It is all very well for certain interested persons to speak against such a step being taken and back up their argument by quoting co-operative failures elsewhere, but it does not necessarily follow that all such undertakings would turn out failures. However I feel certain that the public will not always submit to every whim ol the master bakers, for God only knows what next they may come on with. There’s nothing like grasping the iron while it is hot, and it’s fairly hot in Hastings just now. It stands to reason that the bakers must be allowed -some profit, and as it takes one ton of flour to make 1400 2lb loaves and these loaves if sold at would amount to ,£2O 8s 4d or if sold at 4d to x. 23, there seems to be a fair margin. But where do we come in ? I presume with cash in advance. Several other letters are written in a similar strain. There is a good deal of feeling on the matter locally, which would have been obviated had the price not been raised above 3/4d the 2lb loaf.