THE PRICE OF BREAD.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 March 1918, Page 6

THE PRICE OF BREAD.

To the Editor. | Sir.—-Your Wellington correspondent to-day states that there are remarkable, unjustified and unexplained variations in the price of bread throughout Niw Zealand towns. The differences arc attributable to the difference in the laii'itd cost of flour, the lack of organic unity in the baking trade and the i capricious temperaments and eccentricities of its component members. If the baking trade was as well organised aa our monopolistic State-owned railway system the public would have to pay and grin and get less civility, attention, and promptitude. Regarding the "cash over the counter concession idea" the same argument is equally applicable to the bi'tcher, grocer, draper, Chinese laundrynien, etc. Instance, you walk to the Chinese laundrvman (shrewdest business irnu of all) with your washing. Walk brck next day, pay cash, carry tile goods home. What concession have you got? I read your instructive and interesting paper each morning during breakfast, i The News expended enterprise, capital, j benzine and energy to get that at my ' door i-.t fi.3o a.m. for 2d. Conclude, it ia i the same price if bought in New I'ly- | mouth or Opunake, and you justly earn [ j it. Likewise the baker sells to stores , and allows them a percentage profit to suit public convenince. How can thu j public expect the baker to be a paragon 1 ot; exception regarding cash concessions? Flour in Taranaki costs G.}d or 6Jd per 41h loaf, manufacture lid, delivery lid. There are many supplementary costs. Query, How much does the master-baker make at lOd per 41b loaf? It does not pay any baker in Taranaki to manufacture and sell bread for less than lid per 4!b loaf cash. If bakers in Dunedin like j to risk bankruptcy that is no reason i why their systyna should be made generally applicable. Australia and New Zealand are, at the present time, fie best and cheapest bread in the worlT The "eccentricities" of baking through * oat our various towns and reasonß forj_

them are well known to master bakers, who can explain to your correspondent what would otherwise be inexplicable.— I am etc., H. W. KERR. Stratford, 20/3/18.