BAKERS AND PASTRYCOOKS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19995, 12 January 1927, Page 12

BAKERS AND PASTRYCOOKS.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE. THE ASSOCIATION’S CRIEVANCES. GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE DEPRECATED. (Special xo Daili Times.) WELLINGTON, January 11. "The past year,” says the report of the twenty-seventh annual conference of the New Zealand Bakers and Pastrycooks’ Association, “was one of considerable unrest, due to the insufficient supply of New Zealand-grown wheat and the consequent inability of the millers to supply the flour requirements to the trade. On more than one occasion we strongly protested to the Government against the importation of Australian flour, believing that in the best interests of the Dominion it was desirable to import wheat so as to obviate interfering with the working of the New Zealand mills, and further to minimise the amount of unemploy >ent. Numerous protests were sent to the Government, the executive considering it manifestly unfair that wheat for the • oultry trade of the Dominion should be imported free. The interests of the poultry men were safeguarded by a total prohibition of imports of eggs in any form; whilst the milffir was called upon to pay a duty on wheat, and no restriction was placed on the importation of flour. ' "It is to be noted with regret that during the year the increase in the value of imported flour as compared with the previous year amounted to no less than £300,000, whereas there was a decrease in importation of wheat amounting to about 400,000 centals. From the Dominion viewpoint the figures give cause fOT much anxious thought. Owing to the increased cost of production the millers were, during the year, compelled to advance prices, and subsequently, owing to Australian competition, to reduce them, with the result that there was considerable difficulty in adjusting the price of bread. The executive is still of opinion that the attitude taken up by the Government was not in the best interests of the milling or baking trade, to say nothing of the Dominion as a whole.” ADDRESS BY HON. A. D. M'LEOD. The conference was presided over by the president (Mr G. K. Matheson, Auckland), and there was an attendance of about 40 delegates from all parts of New Zealand. Included among those present were the Minister of Lands and Industries and Commerce (the Hon. A. D. M’Leod), and the Secretary of the Department of Industries and Commerce (Mr J. W. Collins). Mr F. H. Corson represented Distributors (Limited). The Hon. A. D. M’Leod, asked by the president to open the conference. iaid that though he had been „nly a short time in charge of the Industries and Commerce Department, he already knew, and had had his knowledge confirmed by its secretary (Mr J. W. Collins), that for some years past the relationship between the, association and the department had been a very close, interesting, and profitable one. He wished that to continue. — (Applause.) Besides the portofolio of Industries and Commerce, he held that of Lands. It might be thought that these two positions did not quite fit into one another, but ho believed that if the right spirit and thought were brought to bear on the matter they should quite easily function together. His personal association, saiu Mr M’Leod, had hitherto been wholly with the land. Half a dozen generations, of which he was a descendant, had been closely associated with the soil. He was born and bred a farmer, and he was proud of it.— (Applause.) For close on 40 years he had had to tackle the development of land in the Dominion, and he knew farmers’ difficulties as far as e man might. “Atlas-like,” the Minister said, “ the primary producers are carrying the world on their shoulders, if not on their backs. It is only when the producers’ position ,s sound that the prosperity of all other industries can be assured. I am uot one of those farmers who believe that they must remain the only pebble on the beach. I am one who las long taken up the attitude that if the country is to remain solely a primary producers’ country the limit of its population will be smajlei than 2,000,000. That is not the destiny of this country. It must be for the farmers to look fairly ’at the problem and seek to set up industries side by side. Knowing the load the primary producer carries to-day, not only in this country but in the various countries of the world, I say that any industry built up in this country must be built upon sound lines, and the people associated with such industries must satisfy themselves that they are doing everything possible to establish the industry on beneficial lines for the whole country. I know that there is a feeling of cordiality between the department 1 am called on to administer and yourselves, which is very pleasant to see. I know that modern laws call on you to perform certain duties, and I am informed that far beyond the limits which the law demands you have carried them out—in hygiene and other ways. That is a credit to those in the industry, and I congratulate you sincerely on it. We have the old cry of the price of the daily _ bread. It is a sore subject and a much discussed subject. I have looked into it from time to time. It appears, to me that flour costs in New Zealand from £3 to £4 more than it does in Australia, but that your retail prices to consumers compare more than favourably with those across the Tasman Sea. I am not going to suggest that you should put on a flat rate of a half-penny a pound on broad.—(Laughter.) There is little or no complaint from the bread makers in respect to prices, but I know that everybody would like to get it cheaper if (hoy could.” Mr M’Leod suggested that the association and the egg producers should confer with a view to securing adequate quantities of this product from the land for small goods. He hoped the conference would result in all they _ desired of it, and he promised full consideration of any proposals arising out of the deliberations.