A. H. BLAKE.I

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liked. I might have been approached in this way : would I mind taking some other brand of flour if of good quality, and I have said I would, and if I did not find it of good quality I would get a rebate. 24. It has been given in evidence that some bakers could not get the flour they wanted ?—I do not know of any such case. 25. Eegarding the price of bread, we have it in evidence that at £10 10s. a ton bread can be sold at s|d. per 4 lb. loaf over the counter for cash : what is your opinion?—We cannot do it— we should make a loss at it. 26. It has been stated by a witness that he does not think 7d. too high for bread with flour at what it is now in Wellington or Dunedin ?—I do not think that is too high. There are many things in connection with Dunedin that do not apply to Canterbury. The difference in cost of delivery would make a lot of difference in Wellington also. 27. Let us take Christchurch : at £10 10s. per ton of flour, what would be a reasonable price for bread?—A reasonable price would be 6d. delivered. 28. Do you not think there should be a different rate charged for cash, to encourage cash trade ? —I dare say. It has been mooted, but has never been arranged. 29. Would you be opposed to allowing £d. difference for cash, if the purchasers came to your shop and took the bread away ? —Certainly not. Cash on delivery and cash in your store are two different things. 30. Sir W. R. Russell.] What is " cash on delivery " ? It does not mean cash at the end of the week, but ready cash ?—Many people think that weekly payments are cash. 31. The Chairman.] The bakers' conference have resolved at Auckland that when flour is £10 2s. 6d. in Wellington the price of a 4 lb. loaf should be 7d. : do you not think that excessive ? —Not at all. 32. And what for cash on the counter?—l think it could be sold at 6d., because the cost of delivery is more than people think who have not worked it out. 33. Do you think it would be possible for the Government to fix the price of bread or flour ? — I would like to see it brought about, but Ido not know that it is possible. They might have to arrange the price of bread according to the price of flour, but in any case I think it would be a very good thing. 34. In your opinion the rates charged for flour before the association was formed were fair: do you consider that the price since has been above what it should be to the bakers ?—I do not think so. Before the Millers' Association started it was always noticed that the price in London ruled the price here, but since the Millers' Association started it appears that the market has changed a good deal, on account, I suppose, of the drought in Australia. Before the association started we could always reckon on getting flour at £1 a ton dearer than it was in the Australian market, but since the association started it has been fluctuating in all manners of ways. 35. Do you think the members of tbe Millers' Association charged you an excessive price for your flour ?—I do not think so, relatively to the price of wheat. 36. Then, you have no personal complaint to make ?—No. 37. Have you heard others complaining about the price being excessive ?—I thinkthe principal complaint was that they could not buy for forward delivery. Of course, no one is pleased with the price of flour if it could be got for less. 38. Sir W. R. Russell.] Has tbe fluctuation in wheat and flour been greater or less since the association started? Has that difference been increased or diminished?— To-day we buy flour at £9 10s., and in Australia it is £11 10s.—that is, £2 difference ; and before the association started we generally reckoned that Australian flour would be £1 dearer. Now it is £2 dearer. 39. The Chairman.] Have you always got the supplies you wanted ? —Yes. 40. You have worked in unison ?—Yes; had no trouble at all. 41. Do you know of any bakers who have been blocked from getting the supplies they required either from the association or from outsiders ? We have had it in evidence that such has been the case?— There are one or two cases where persons could not get flour from the association. 42. But could they get it from anywhere else?—l think so. 43. Would it be possible for you to supply us with a scale of reasonable charges for bread both for cash and delivery for the different towns in the colony or for Christchurch ? —I might do so for Christchurch, but for different towns there are different circumstances. The delivery of bread in Wellington would be very much more difficult than in Christchurch. lam perfectly confident that the best bakers have not been making so much out of the sale of bread as a bricklayer or carpenter would make out of his daily work. 44. You think there is not much in it even at the present ruling price for bread?— No. 45. What is the price in Christchurch now ?—Sixpence delivered. 46. Do you think there should be a difference between the delivery charges of Wellington and Dunedin and those of Christchurch ?—Yes. They pay more for their flour in Wellington, and there is more difficulty in delivering bread in Wellington and Dunedin than in Christchurch. 47. Can you tell us what the increased cost has been to the baker in consequence of the increase in wages and the shortened hours, together with the necessity for employing men in place of boys in some instances ?—lt has made a very great difference in the cost of production. 48. Could you put it down in money-value—could you put it down, say, at fd. a loaf?—lt would be as nearly as possible on a large loaf. 49. Mr. Taylor.] The policy of your union was to see that the Millers' Association did not do business with cutting bakers ? —Yes. 50. You thought you were justified in saying that if a baker did not charge your price he should not have flour?—We did not go that far at first. We tried to get the millers to induce these men to sell their bread at a paying price. 51. How many men do you employ?— Two, 9—l. 10.