THE PRICE OF BREAD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 298, 15 December 1914, Page 8

THE PRICE OF BREAD.

F L 0 U R - M E L L E R S DEMANDING

BIG PRICES. Per Press Association

Wellington, December 14

“The price of bread nil be advanced in Wellington within a month from now,” said Mr A. Lavern, president of the Wellington Master Bakers’ Association, when asked to-day for the position in which the bakers now find themselves. “The present price ot bread is 4d. per 21b. loaf. Shortly after the New Year this will be advanced to ltd., and there is no saying how soon after that the next advance will be, for the bakers of Wellington, who have used up their stock of flour, tind it impossible to buy more. They are met by a poilit-blank refusal from the millers, and what little they can scrape together to supply their customers for a few days at a time is being sold to them at a price which makes it imperative that an advance should be made in the price. A few months ago the Government fixed the price of flour by proclamation at £l3 per ton, f.0.b., but that proclamation has been rendered useless from the point of view of the small bakers, because a way has been discovered by holders of stocks to evacle the law. There is nothing to say that a man who holds Hour in stock cannot sell it from the store at above £l3. Advantage has been taken of this to demand higher prices from the bakers, some of whom for the past month have been paying £l4 los and £lo .per ton for small supplies ex store.

It is the opinion of many bakers that the increase to 4id per 21b loaf must be followed by a further rise unless something happens to give them stocks of flour at a more reasonable price. The importation of Canadian wheat and flour will not, it is stated, make the price of bread cheaper. The Government would have to sell the imported article at a loss to reach the official price at present ruling in New Zealand . Therefore, the bakers would secure no advantage from the importation, and would not be able to lower the price to customers.