THE PRICE OF THE FOUR POUND LOAF.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1933, 25 November 1884, Page 2

THE PRICE OF THE FOUR POUND LOAF.

A correspondent sends us the following extract from a Home paper of September last i-~ " The " Statist " refers to the faofc that last week the average price of wheat throughout England and Wales was 35« Id per quarter, and the tendency seems to be to still lower prices. Whether the extreme cheapness may not check exports from America and elsewhere, and thus, after a while, lead to a rise in prices, remains to be seen ; but if exports go on at a moderate rate, it would not be surprising if the average price of wheat before the end pf the year were to fall very nearly to 80a a quarter, Already, although we have complaints that the price of bread is kept up in various parts of London it is very little higher, the four- pound loaf being sold at aboufc 4£d. Extreme cheapness of this kind makes the wageg of th§ working-classes go much farther than they usually do ; the bread-bill will be considerably smaller, and, therefore, there will be a larger surplus to expend on other things. Even a very small increase in the weekly expenditure of each work-class family would amount to a considerable sum in the course of a year, or even a month, and the impetus that would be imparted to the various trades which supply the working-classes would lead to such an improvement aa would be felt throughout the length and breadth of the land." Our correspondent points out that in Waikato, in a country where some of the ! wheat that finds its way into the London market is grown and sold as bread at the 41b loaf, tho same loaf js §d, and he naturally wishes to know whether the bakers make a profit in the country. Taking all things into consideration, we presume th«y do. „

A Vwjmoni? man owns »he» thirtynine years old. The other day a H&W& stole it, but after an hour came baok with a l?rpken; bill apd tbre*' claws' gone,' put' 'down the jj'eh, and .took %a old rubbed 'Boot in&ifteofW'' •/' - ' ft « - ' "*t »•