THE PRICE OF BREAD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1374, 16 March 1915, Page 3

THE PRICE OF BREAD.

STATE BAKERIES

THE PREMIER’S WARNING

The Prime Minister on Saturday announced the intention of the Government to establish bakeries for the supply of bread to the people if it should appear necessary to do so in the interests of tue people. A Dominion reporter interviewed Mr Massey on the subject on Saturday. “I have already said that if any further increase takes place in the price of bread the Government will establish bakeries in the four principal centres,” said Mr Massey. “We have not arrived at this determination without proper consideration. I know perfectly Well that an increase in the price of the necessaries of life is unavoidable in war time, but extreme prices must be avoided wherever possible, and conditions made as easy as we can make them, especially for people with families. I know that a number of people, many for political reasons, have beeu crying out before they were hurt, and I am not wasting much sympathy on them, but I know also a larger number are already feeling the pinch—having a difficulty in making ends meet —and this is the class we are anxious to help.” In the course of further conversation he indicated that there were apparently great unexplained differences in the price at which flour was sold by millers in different parts of New Zealand and the prices at which flour was purchaseable in Wellington, Prom official figures supplied to him about ten days ago, it appeared that in the wheat-growing districts mills were selling flour at from los to per ton. One miller was actually delivering in the suburbs of Christchurch at tos. Almost the highest price in the particulars supplied to him was £l6. There were Individual places at which the prices were higher than even this, but always they were remote places.