The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) Suivant la verite. MONDAY, DECEMBER 10 1883. THE PRICE OF THE BREAD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume V, Issue 10, 10 December 1883, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) Suivant la verite. MONDAY, DECEMBER 10 1883. THE PRICE OF THE BREAD.

Sevbr AJL'oT our "Southern contemporaries jftron^ly profceatngainst tJie baker? raisin of bread .:> because ati; •A-ct <! fovc<» compellipg t-he.rn.to give I fiiillweight. Hke Ashburton bakers

ive given notice of their intenti'in to large m futiiro^ftvenpence tor a four oundjoiifi^-an .^breaap. - of T ouo pennY i vf^L \io? be>n pa^hidier^' 'W imaru quite a little rumpus has sprung p amongst thepurveyors of bread, -.\nd 'c are" glad to say that the project to »ise the price ther ■ has beon dete-.ited, wing to wantoi unanimity. Tho Ashlniron Guardian m a very fair article ©inte oiiii ;that Jesses '. very-; tard uporiTthe bakers, although when ,11 iss said nothing more is required of hem than to give fair value for ipouey eceived. It was of course never law: ul for a man to give false weight m lelling' goods of any kind, but m regard ;o bread there : hm X cerfcjftinly been a QogeWsa m. the 4nanhe / i t transactions were carried on. The housewife orders 1 stated number of loaves, and- t?ie jhances are ten to one against her tekting whether she has received proper A-jgight or not. Now, however, under ;his .^« w Act, numel'phs Saieguarcls a|re jroviu'ed to prevent the possibility jof raud, aa d the baker uhdoubted'ly has to v pnjb to more .expense; iu^sarrjing )n his"busjin ea^ than ho was previously. He has to sta.mp-allliis ! ldaves, which must only be nrade^ ofj\ certain, stee, while m the matter of stale bread he innst make up any deficiency m weight by adding htliey bread. ! Naturalily enough, the baker considers that the consumer should' pay for his extra , "eXpens4, Jand;. equal^r^ naturally: C*he : consumer will condemn ftn „-Act ..which makes him pay more for Wad without giving him any appreciable compensat- j ing advantages. Our contemporary proceeds to remark tthat anything which tends to r Vaise the price' of, a accessary article of food is to, be- regretted; and for this reason it hopes for the sake of the general public that the bakers will not be successful iik their present movement. Sooner or later they will discover their mistake, as tlie demand for bakers' bread will ineyitaUy-dimin-iali' withi^^ie ri^e'i-iri price,-as people will prefer to make their 6 wn ; to buying ft m too dear a market. Still, we baye doubts a^ to the wisdom of such strict l^gidatlon, jn regawl to «m» special industry, .while other tradesmen are not similarly hampered. , There is no reason to believe that bakers are. more pro^io to. fall into dishonest courses than othbipeople, anijd sjatoe of the provisions jof the Act ; ceVta l rily appear to be so very stringeiit tlrait we can scarcely blanie phpsemostQearlyaffected for taking what theyJcbnsiiJe.r^ii-Aie^^'^imiiasttjfe' to prpr tect themsefves against loss. We "question j however, ' wh'eth.Qr increasin g i be price of bread is the wweat course, and wrobably.ereilQDg' jbh'd fakers will (md this out. . ; !