Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-08-02
BAKERs-UPON WHAT PRINCIPLE is
1T THAT THE PRICE OF THEIR
BREAD Is FIXED BY LAW.


as he may be able to obtain. So sells the butcher
his meat, the grocer his groceries, and the farmer
his produce The baker is an exception to
general rule 1t is made the duty of some Off
GERS of this corporation of Washington, from
time to time, to fix the weight of the FIVE cent loaf
or, in other words, to fix the price of the article
in which the baker deals.
Why is il that the law interferes to regulate
the prices of the baker while it leaves free all the
customers please to pays
The general rule-to leave trade free-is con-
sistent with our institutions and just in itself.
In country where monopoly is conferred
to sell goods, wares, merchandise, or produce,
and where all are free, upon payment of licences,
which regulated by law, to buy and sell
whatever they please, il may safely be left to COM
petition to bring down prices, to proper stand
ard. Except in the case of the bakers, the prin-
ciple Of leaving to competition, monopohes be-
ing withheld, the regulation of.prices, is of uni
versal acceptance. Indeed, for the government
TO fix the prices of the goods, Sc, of an ndvd-
ual, is most repugnant exercise of power. 1t is
no less than saying to farmer, for example,
Though your produce may be worth in open mar
ket $40, 900, forbid you to sell it for than
IS, 600 This is a monstrous power to place in
the hands of the government, and we doubt
whether any such power exists in any of the
States by proper construction of the reserved
rights of the people. We do not mean to say
that, as respects bakers, il is not exercised in all
the States; but we mean TO express doubt, or
something more than doubt, as to its being con-
stitutionally exercised.
If it is lawful for the government to FIX the
price at which baker may sell his own bread,
we doubt if il be wise for il to do so.
We have been so long accustomed TO see cor
porate authorities fix the price Of the bread
which belongs to the baker, that the outrage of
il ceases to be striking because Of its familiarity
But we easily bring TO mind the mon
strous character Of this practice, by imagining the
corporate authorities getting ready TO fix the
price of the meat that belongs to the butcher the
produce that belongs to the farmer, or the goods
that belong to the merchant.
Such attempt on the part Of the corporate
authorities would stir up breeze which would be
very refreshing during this hot weather.
We imagine the practice Of saving trouble to
the baker by fixing the price of his bread for him
was brought over from England, and that its rem
cradle antiquity is its chiefest and only merit.
The probable reason for the introduction of this
practice in England was in the custom Of that
government Of granting monopolies. If mo-
nopoly of baking and selling bread was ever
granted to any Of the FIiz's, il was but reason
able TO restrain and regulate the price in order to
prevent Fit= from grinding the faces of the com
munity, and particularly the poor. But no mo-
nopoles Of this kind are here granted, and the
reason for regulating the price does not there
fore exist with us, and in our view such a re-
pugnant exercise Of power should cease
But il the power exercised was usual, proper
and consistent with our institutions, il is not wise
TO exercise il. II does not accomplish the end
designed, which is, we presume, TO protect the
community against the dealers in the staff of life
bread. That bread is the staff Of life, is an old
saw not necessarily infallible.
In Ireland, the potato is the staff Of life rather
than bread. Among the Indians bread is un-
known, and meat is the staff of life; and in the
Western States corn bread, the price Of which is
not fixed by law, is more generally used than
bread made Of wheat, and is moreover chea per-
and corn bread is there the staff Of life.
There is no argument which can be used in
favor Of the existing anamolous arbitrary and IN
lawful practice Of fixing by corporate regulation
the price of the wheat bread which belongs to the
baker, that does not with equal force apply to
corn bread, wheat, butcher meat, vegetables and
farm produce generally.
Competition has regulated the prices Of these
equitably, and will continue to do so, and better
than they can be regulated by law, and we are at
loss TO discover why this will not be the case
with wheat bread.
The corporation Of Washington in regulating
the price Of bread does so in reference TO the
price Of wheat--sppsrfne wheat As the price
of -four advances, the weight of the FIVE cent loaf
decreases. When wheat was at the highest price
during the last war, say 500 the barrel--the
weight Of the FIVE cent loaf was diminished, so as
TO leave profit for the bakers. The bakers