Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-10-19
EVENING STAR.
THE WEIGHT OF BREAD.
fro THE EDITORS OF THE EVENING ST

tTO TIE EDITORS OF THE EVENING STAR
We saw In the Star of Saturday, 14th instant,
under the head of Local Items state
ment that some loaves of bread had been
taken away from the bakers on account of
| their being too heavy; wbereupon q baker
(Havenner) has commenced q process of law
| against the Corporation, in order to recover
damages and test the soundness Of the law AS
regards the question of validity, in it's being
constitutional, there is nodoubt in our mind,
notwithstanding different opinion has been
given we understand, by some lawyer, TO the
Boss Bakers Society
| The best course, we think, for tho bakers to
pursue, In the present emergency, woulL be
to get up a general petition, signed by the cit
isens, asking for repeal Of the law, as most
Of them think, as far as our observation has
gone, that it is very Objectionable law. Tits
not in reference to the constit utionality of the
law that we wish to make a few suggestions,
but IN reference to its general features. 1t
has been stated that the construction which
the Corporation Attorney has put upon the
law as not the same which was intended by
some who voted for it. The law should have
been more explicit, if the Corporation Attor-
ney is not correct If, in the law, the eight,
sixteen, and thirty-two ounces is more ia the
half loaf, loaf, and double-Ioaf than wa in
tended, they should have embodied the word
| more" in the law.
| The amendment that is contemplated will
have little effect in doing away with the OBJ
jections OF the law, In our judgment We
G ,me, now, to comment on the features Of the
law.
| II is a very difficult matter in scaling of (as
| tho bakers term it batch Of bread dough 70
get exact weig ut in each loaf, for reasons tha,
are we'll known to every baker; and some
dough will dry, or, chemically speaking, the
absorption Of water is greater with some dough
than others, from several causes which we will
not discuss here, as also in baking according
to the intensity Of heat or the length of time
required.
The most difficult matter is this TO regulate
the price of bread 50 as to give the bakers =
living profit, and the continual changes in its
price from the fluctuations in the -four market ;
yet the enormous profit the bakers will have,
provided the price of -four should not Justify
them in selling their bread for a small profit
| To illustrate the subject: Take the present
rate of -four, s. so per barrel for extra super
fine. and the price of FIVE cents per loaf, which
| IL near the actual cost according to our orin-
ion from the close calculation We have made
If fou' advances 81 on the barrel, the bakers
will be compelled to raise the price Of bread
say to six and a quarter cents per losf This
will give those bakers who are baking three
barrels of -four per day the profit Of at least
81, In addition to the profit they are receiving
At present, if any. The cent or cent and .
Iquarters difference in adding or deductine
from the present price ma2es . considera bic
item when calculated on seven or eight hun
drsd l0sves of bread. In q Communication
Aersaftsr, We may discuss the business Of legis
lating on the subie of q law to regulate the
weight of bread, and endeavor to review som,
remarks on an article published in the Nation
al Intelligencer some few weeks ago
Washington, Oct Is, 1884. JAW.