Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 1918. CHEAP BREAD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1800, 12 March 1918, Page 2

Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 1918. CHEAP BREAD.

‘‘CHEAP bread is always a popular hustings cry, and Labour-Soci-alists know how to use it to their own advantage,” said the Farmers’ Union Advocate in an editorial on wheat-growing. “Not many consumers take the trouble to ask what it costs to produce the loaf they buy. With bread at fid or 7d the quartern loaf, the people do not trouble much about it, but when Id or 2d is added, the La hour-Social-ists is ever ready to win a few votes by blackguarding the wheatgrower as a greedy vampire fattening on the people’s vitals. The fact that wheat-growing never has been —and probably never will be —a profitable industry in this country concerns the people very little. What does concern them is the price of the loaf, and the fear of not being able to secure their requirements. For many years past wheat-growing has been more of a patriotic than a commercial venture. It has been largely from a sentimental belief in the theory of national independence than from a practical money-making point of view that our wheat-growers have, persisted in their efforts to grow enough wheat for New Zealand's needs, and though here and there it has well repaid the grower, that has been the exception rather than the rule.” *‘* * *

THERE is a movement on the part of millers to raise the price of flour and bran and pollard to meet increased costs of wheat find increased costs of official manufacture. The price at present is 5s lOd per bushel for wheal. For Hour it is £ls per ton, and £3 10s for bran and £0 15s for pollard respectively. Millers now find that the wheat is costing them 5s 11 Ad per bushel by the addition of l|d per bushel charges, whereas x last year they were paying 5s 7d; hut now with a. 3d per bushel rise and lAd charges the cost is 5s llAd per bushel, and extra manufacturing costs — coal, etc. —are set down at 18s to £X per lon, A meeting of millers is to he held at Christchurch to-day to discuss the whole position with the. Minister, the Hon. XV. D. S. McDonald, apd the members of the Board of Trade —Messrs CK McDonald; J. R. Hart, and P. Hally.