TOE PRICE OF BREAD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2073, 17 July 1890, Page 2

TOE PRICE OF BREAD.

TO TEE EDITOE,

Sie, A short time ago a new bakery was started in * emuka by an individual whose avowed object io starting was to reduce the then exborbitant price of; bread. Since that time the price of bread has advanced one pound per ton, that is, nearly a seven hundredth part of one penny on the 4lb loaf, and I see by a notice in your Saturday’s issue that the person above referred to has agreed with the other three bakers in town to raise the price of the 41b loaf one penny. Now I submit that the price of bread is out of all proportion to the price of wheat, and I would suggest that the farmers and working men combine, and start a co-operative flour mills add bakeries. This could be done at a very small outlay to each of a thousand men, and I would advise each and all of the consumers of bread in the district to teach those four gentlemen who have united to raise the price of bread a lesson in the meantime by making their own bread. Those who cannot make bread might make a shift on scones. Those who can neither make bread nor scones should do the best they can on damper. Anything is better than being imposed upon. —I am, etc., Faembe.

[A. rise in bread is a very serious matter to poor men with large families we know, but it is only by raising the price of everything that wages can be raised. This is what tradesunionism will do, and anyone who cannot take advantage of it must go to the wall. Farmers have their trades anion in their co-operative store, banks have tbeia trades union, flomr millers have their trades union, and self-preserva-tion of course, has driven the bakers to resort to it also. Between them all we confess that the poor working man, who cannot very well form a trades union in a district like this, is an object for sympathy. He earns 5s or 6s a day, and probably one-third, if not half, of his time he is idle. How poor people can manage to rear a family under such circumstances is certainly to be wondered at. But we live in a God-for-us-all-and-never-mind-the-hindmost age, and every one looks after himself. The bakers are quite justified in looking after themselves, and we find no fault with them for doing it. Low prices and cheapness is the ruin of everything, and we should most heartily support the rise in bread if we could see that the poor workman could get a corresponding increase in his wages —En ] \ \