1896: Good Honest Chocolate
March 28, 2019
By AHNZ
J.H. Whittaker migrated to Christchurch from England to make his own chocolate in 1890. Moving to Wellington in 1896, he set up the chocolate factory we still have today. And it’s good stuff. Better than Cadbury, particularly now that they’ve dropped the ball.
I am amused to see this latest update on Whittaker’s Facebook page warning customers of an impending price hike…
Hello Chocolate Lovers. Stock up! We wanted you to be first to know that from Monday we sadly have to raise our prices. Why? Because our costs have been steadily rising. The good news is that we will not be changing our block size or cutting corners on quality. And rest assured we will continue to make our chocolate right here in Porirua, New Zealand 😊
The 400 commenters (and climbing) seem unaware of what’s between the lines here.
Monday is when the minimum wage goes up by $1.20/hr.
Minimum wage workers are set for a pay rise next week – but whether other workers will see their incomes increase, too, is not clear.
On April 1, the minimum hourly rate will rise to $17.70, an increase of $1.20 an hour. It will mean someone working a 40-hour week will have to earn a minimum $708.- Stuff
Anarchists, Libertarians,…economically literate people, all understand this effect. Minimum wage laws are a price floor tampering with the markets which push up costs and make real incomes the same or lower. Minimum prices also destroy products and jobs that would otherwise exist because people wanted to supply and demand them but were unable to because the Government outlawed them. What’s the use of being paid a tiny bit more if your welfare cheque and your basic consumption costs go up to make it meaningless? This tampering does not only effect this one chocolate company, of course, but sends similar ripples of confusion and waste through our entire economy.
Those who seek minimum prices do not think ahead to the damage, they don’t really understand what’s going on. To them it’s a nice thing to do, a pleasing signal of care, a way to give someone in our big r-selected family an extra bit of toast at the breakfast table. Well meaning, their mindset is at fault rather than any malicious goals. Economics didn’t talk them into it and wont talk them out of it either.
But magic chocolate just might!
—
ref. Our Story; whittakers.co.nz
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