H—44

The size of the units engaged in bread-baking is indicated by the following table, which is based on the monthly average of flour purchases by the respective bakers : Consuming— Less than 5 tons per month .. .. 96 units = 17-85% of total. sto 9 tons per month .. .. .. 149 units =27 • 69% of total. Over 9to 14 tons per month .. .. 129 units = 23-98% of total. Over 14 to 19 tons per month .. .. 60 units = 11 • 16% of total. Over 19 to 29 tons per month .. .. 53 units = 9-85% of total. Over 29 to 49 tons per month .. .. 24 units = 4-47% of total. Over 49 to 99 tons per month .. .. 15 units = 2-77% of total. Exceeding 99 tons per month .. .. 12 units = 2 • 23% of total. 538 units 100% The quantity of flour delivered to bread-bakers and bread-pastrycooks for the year ended 31st January, 1948, amounted to 109,644 tons, as compared with 109,973 tons for the year ended 31st January, 1947, a decrease of 329 tons. This period included the initial twelve months of 80-per-cent.-extraction flour usage, which, apparently, has arrested prior increases in the quantities of flour used in the industry, as follows : Tons. For the twelve months ended 31st January, 1944 .. .. .. 101,120 For the twelve months ended 31st January, 1945 .. .. .. 103,877 For the twelve months ended 31st January, 1946 .. .. .. 107,716 For the twelve months ended 31st January, 1947 .. .. .. 109,973 Allowing for the proportion of flour used by bread-bakers in the manufacture of pastrycook lines, it is estimated that 104,500 tons of flour were used for bread-baking during the year ended 31st January, 1948. On the basis of 1,340 two-pound loaves per flour-ton, gives the equivalent of 140,030,000 two-pound loaves per annum, or 2,692,885 two-pound loaves per week. On the basis of population at 31st December, 1947 (1,823,000 persons), the consumption per inhabitant, therefore, is 2-95 lb. bread per week. Comparative statistics of flour-consumption are as under :

(/) The Wheat Committee The personnel of the Wheat Committee is the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer (Chairman), Mr. L. J. Schmitt (Deputy Chairman), and Messrs. C. H. Cowan, A. Grant, W. W. Mulholland, 11. F. Nicoll, J. P. O'Connor, H. Worrall.

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Year ending, Total i'lourconsumption. Quantity used for Bread. Quantity used for Biscuits. Quantity used for Householders, Pastrycooks, and for other Purposes. WeeMy Flourconsumption per Inhabitant. WeeMy Bread consumption per Inhabitant. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. lb. lb. 31st January, 1946 .. 171,122 103,000 10,785 57,337 3-81 3-07 31st January, 1947 .. 171,020 104,850 8,999 57,171 3-69 3-03 31st January, 1948 .. 170,313 104,500 8,678 57,135 3-59 2-95