OVERSEAS BREAD COSTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1037, 30 July 1930, Page 1

OVERSEAS BREAD COSTS

MINISTER EXPLAINS RECENT ADVERTISEMENT DEPARTMENTS NAME USED THE SUIT'S Parliamentary Reporter PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Today. The statement that the recent details published regarding the prices of bread in New Zealand and abroad were printed without the sanction of the Department of Industries and Commerce was made in the House yesterday by the Minister, Mr. P. A. de la Perrelle. In an urgent question. Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Independent—Egmont) asked if the Minister had noticed the advertising propaganda in city and other newspapers relating to the prices of bread in outside centres, as compared with New Zealand prices, and if the figures relating to such prices were authorised by the Minister for publication; also if such figures w»ro procured by the department for the parties interested, and if the departof Industries and Commerce accepted responsibility for the publication of such statements. “I have read the advertisement in question.” said the Minister. “It vra* not published with the consent or the previous knowledge of the Department of Industries and Commerce. The department was requested by Distributors, Limited, to ascertain by cable the present retail prices of bread in Canada, the United States of America and Australia, as indicated by the prices in certain specified cities. The information contained in the cabled replies was communicated to distributors, Limited, and, with the following omission, is in the main as published - “In a few poorer suburbs of Sydney bread is selling as low as 4d and 4*<l by grocers.” “I may explain that it is the practice of the department to obtain Information of this nature for reputable firms desiring it. provided the department is reimbursed for the expense incurred, and this procedure was adopted in t-io present instance. distributors. Lie:ited, were entitled, therefore, to use this information for their own purposes and in a proper manner. “information similar to that supplied by the department was inserted in the general news columns of a number of newspapers as an advertisement ‘published by arrangement.* The advertisement contained a comparison of overseas and local bread prices, and opinion was expressed in regard to this comparison, but as the name of the advertiser was kept out of the advertisement. and the name of the department, without its permission, was brought into it. the statement could be read as an official pronouncement. I wish to make it clear that the statement was published without the consent of tl:*s department, and that the opinion expressed in it was the opinion of tho advertiser. Information in regard to bread prices and other commodities is available from the Government publications issued by the United States, Canada and Australia.”