MEAT AND BREAD.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 March 1917, Page 3

MEAT AND BREAD.

FIXING PRICES. (From Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, March 10. Mr. McDonald and Mr. Halley, members of the Board of Trade, visited Masterton yesterday and made an arrangement with tlie local butchers similar to the one existing with tlie butchers in Auckland. Meat is to be delivered to the retailers from tlie Government stocks in tlie freezing works at prices which will enable them to supply the consumers at rates consistent with the export values. This will mean a. considerable reduction on the prices at present ruling. To-mor-row the members of the Board will proceed to Hastings, .where they expect to have no difficulty in making a similar arrangement. The system of supply originated in Auckland is working well in tlie northern city, the Board having shown by a practical demonstration that the prices charged at the factory left a fair profit to the retailers, but there has been some little friction arising out of the irregularity of the butchers' demands, and probably tlie full Board will go north next week to investigate the trouble. The price of bread has been definitely fixed in Wellington at lid for the 41b loaf delivered and JOd over the counter. This means sy»d and od respectively for the ordinary 21b loaf of every-day use. The prices a.re higher than the quotations for flour would admit under the agreement, between the Board of Trade and the master bakers; bub the cost of manufacture, and delivery lias been enormously increased by a'large advilneo in both bakers' and carters' wages and in the price of horse-feed. The Board of Trade lias gone closelv into the matter and has decided that though the prices are h'gher than it l.i f'cd they would be, the;' are r.uc in tiie c-hv:i:ii-U';ne.< uni. .enable.