THE STAFF OF LIFE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 240, 5 September 1872, Page 8

THE STAFF OF LIFE.

(To the Editor.) Sib, — In this place we Lave two bakers, who are said not to agree much better than rivals in trade usually do. On one point, however, there is the utmost harmony between them ; and strange to say on this single point they are opposed by all the other residents. The point of agreement is the necessity for keeping up the price of bread. Both bakers being enterprising tradesmen, are not content merely with the custom of the residents of Waitahuna and Havelock, and those in the neighbourhood of their shops. They send bread to Tuapeka Mouth, a distance of more than twenty miles, to Canada reef, Manuka Creek, and other places, at a distance of ten or twelve miles. As the bread has to be packed to these places, and packing is as you know, the most expensive means of conveying goods, pou would not be surprised to hear that the price charged by our bakers there, would be at least l£d or 2d than that paid by those customers, who take their bread from, the oven mouth. You will I dare say, be surprised when you learn that the opposite is the case. Instead of charging more from these distant customers, our bakers charge less. An acquaintance of mine, working ten miles distant, gets his bread at eight pence, whereas, for the same bread from the same baker, I who go to the shop am charged tenpence. Now lam told that to 1 " pack bread that distance, will cost nearly 2d a loaf, so that if the bakers can afford to sell bread to my acquaintance at Bd, and still make a profit (and I am sure that they will not go co the trouble for nothing), they could sell the same to me at 6d instead of lOd as at present. There is a feeling that tradesmen who have two prices, are not exactly acting on the square. Ido not know how bakers who act as I describe, can reconcile their conduct with honesty. . Some years ago, bread was in this place 2s 6d per 41b loaf, and very bad bread it often was, but then flour was over £40 a ton. A number of us joined together subscribed £2 a piece, and started a joint stock bakery, on a capital of about £100. We engaged a baker at £5 10s a week. Bread at once fell to Is 6d, then to Is 3d, and when flour fell in price a little, to Is, lOd, and 9d, if I remember aright. But through ignorance, the company was not registered ; and through individual trickery and gross mismanagement, it was wound up, after standing one year and nine months — as it was not registered, it was impossible to recover in a court of law, over £300 due, as debts and otherwise. But notwithstanding this, every shareholder in addition to his original £2 share got 10s of a bonus, equal to 15 per cent per annum, on his outlay. A very igood return ; not taking into consideration the saving to him, from the reduction of the price of bread. The .winding up of the joint stock bakery, was, I consider, a great misfortune for every one in Waitahuna. lam sure that I, and every man in it, has paid in the last five years, at least,£2o more - . for bread, than he would had the. society continued to carry Qn.busibea& I feel confident that if the project., wajj, again started, the capital vonld/jie." subscribed in small shares, in less tEaK 24 hours, and that it woaict be carried on with more prudence and success than before. I for one would be very , glad to be a shareholder, No more* ftt present, _ M