SALE OF BREAD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 January 1942, Page 2

SALE OF BREAD

POSITION IN MASTERTON REDUCTION OF WHOLESALE PRICE URGED. DEPOT PROPRIETORS’ ATTITUDE Al a large and representative meeting of bread depot proprietors, held in Masterton last night, it was unanimously decided Io advise the Master Bakers’ Association that unless it reduced the Avholesale price of bread to 5d per 21b loaf the depots would refuse to handle bread as from January 2(1.

The meeting was convened by Mr James Watson, following the decision of the Masterton bakers, on account of the elimination of household deliveries to conserve petrol, to place bread on sale at various depots. Mr Watson was elected to the chair and Mr AV. C. Falconer was appointed secretary. “This is not an attempt to increase the price of bread to the public—all we ask is a square deal from the bakers,” observed Mr Watson. He explained at the outset that the bakers were placing all their retail responsibilities on to the depots. The high delivery costs incurred by the bakers in the staffing and running of their delivery services would be cut out and would be so much more profit for the bakers. The depots, without being consulted, were asked to take the bread and retail it at a margin of 7£ per cent. As all business men knew, no business could successfully operate on that margin. The bakers, he said, were in essence merging some scores of accounts into one. The depots would have to deal with the troubles of bad debts, etc. If a 6d loaf was sold without payment the depots would have to sell 12 6d loaves to make up the loss. Mr Watson asserted that bread deliveries were still being made by bakers’ vans parallel to mail car services and that one Masterton baker was delivering bread to Carterton. In conclusion Mr Watson said that the present sale of bread in the depots would jump up to astronomical proportions and would practically swamp out the grocery side of the business. Labour to handle the bread would also preesnt problems.

Messrs Watson, E. J. Esler, G. Deane and Falconer were appointed a deputation to interview the secretary of the Master Bakers’ Association.

It was decided to endorse the principle of not providing wrapping paper for bread.

“It is a matter of educating the public to providing their own wrapping paper,” observed Mr Watson in reply to a point raised regarding the cost and difficulty of obtaining paper to wrap bread.

At the conclusion of the meeting the convenor, Mr Watson, was congratulated on the steps he had taken to call the meeting of interested parties.