QUALITY OF BREAD

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 387, 19 March 1937, Page 6

QUALITY OF BREAD

HOSPITAL CONTRACT Minister’s Statement. Press Association —Copyright. Wellington, March 18. In an interview to-day the Minister ol Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, recalled the matt«ir of the contract for the supply of bread to the Auckland Hospital Board, to which a. good deal of publicity was recently given in the Press throughout the Dominion. “Allegations were made by a member of the Auckland Hospital Board at a recent meeting that bread supplied to institutions controlled by the ◦oard and to recipients on relief was sometimes unfit for human consumption, ’’ said the Minister. “Following upon these allegations being made, newspapers reported the baker concerned, Mr S. J. Thomas, of the Crown Bakery Company, who held the contract for the supply to the Hospital Board, as saying that the poor quality of the bread was due to the poor quality of the flour and that this in turn was due in a large measure to the Government’s scheme of control of he wheat and flour industries. “In my reply refuting these statements that the flour and the Governi ment’s scheme were to blame, as the [Minister responsible I promised an immediate investigation into the complaint and arranged for Mr. Hansen, travelling baker expert of the Wheat Research Institute, to proceed at once Lo Auckland to see what practical assistance could be rendered and what could be done to supply the Auckland Hospital authorities with the best type I .if loaf. I promised further that on receipt of Mr. Hansen’s report I would take such action as was necessary to safeguard all the interests concerned, md I also said that as Mr. Thomas :lid not hesitate to give public expression to his statementt in attacking the Government in this connection. I presumed that he could have no objection if I made public the result of the investigation which I then proposed instituting.

Illuminating Report. “Associated with Mr. Hansen in the inquiry were officers of the Wheat Committee, and my oivn- department •eport on the whole matter has now peen made to me. This report is most illuminating. In the first place it will ye remembered that the chief point of ittack in the adverse criticism was in aspect of the quality of New Zealand lour and, as a consequence, references :o defects in the loaf followed as a natural corollary. Results of the investigations show that, in so far as 'he bread supplied to the hospital is concerned, the inferior, or more cor coctjy the inconsistent, quality of the Pread ,has not been due in any way to the quality of the flour. “No previous complaints had been received from the baker concerned by the flour section at Auckland about the flour. Further, baking tests made from flour in stock in the bakehouse iof Mr. Thomas resulted in the produe jtion of a loaf of first-class commercial quality. Moreover, it was found that prior to July 1, 1936, the date on which the present contract with the Auckland Hospital Board commenced, th equality of the bread was quite satisfactory, and it is obvious that the bread supplied by the previous contractor between the end of February or the middle of March and the end of June would be manufactured from

1936 flour. “Knowing that the quality of the flour was not at fault ,it is not my desire to enlarge upon the factors which avewtually resulted in the board’s allejgations being made as to the nature iof the bread supplied, but it would (Appear that trouble arose through an endeavour on the part of the baker concerned to produce beyond the capacity of the bakehouse. “If his statement does not satisfy Mi-. Thomas in regard to this particular matter 1 will arrange for a judicial inquiry under the Board of Trade Act to be held, and will make available to the public the whole of the information obtained during the course of the inquiry. In view of the prominence given at the time to the Press , to Mr. Thomas’s allegations and the editorial comment thereon. I think it but fair that the same prominence should be given to this statement revealing the true facts.”