The New York herald., 1864-10-24
Bread and the Bakers.
~ Tu. xDIrOR or Igg UenAs.D.

TO THB EDIr0B or MS HsRALD
There is no article o food the want Of which Is SO
severely felt as bread And there class OF artisans
whose conduct much romarksd upon and as times
loudly oompsued OF as that Of the bakers rhe
sequence is that most the Old World nave
passed laws regulating tneir business aud compelling
them TO give certain amount Of bread 20 correspond
with the market price OF -four. Assizss bread
also been common in own country, regulated gene
rally BY the municipal authorities the large towns and
in old tunes throash procamatons from the mayors,
Riots have mot been unfrequess In consequences Of
high price bread. and IL 10 remembered by your
readers -four stores have been sacked even the
city of Nov York. Whenever famine threatens
large population the 6rst act OF hungry mob break
open the bakers shops and appropriate the contents
Passing by with reuctauss the curious history
which belongs 70 tho subject, It 70 designed only
the high and prices demanded
Bread ascsrtansd BY scientific ohservatioa and
analysis. Though unable 20 obtain from the bakers
themselves the Information required 70 convict them Of
overchargss Jet thsrs V authority 70 whoh We may
70 nnd out what Ia the real proportion between
the cost Of nour and the price charged for bread.
Dr. thomson, ominent chemist OF Scotland treating
OF this subjec. says,-"A sack OF four weighing two
hundred and eighty pounds and measuring I'VE bushels
is capable Of forming eighty 70 eighty six quartern
ounces avordupos though practically and oustomsrly
England IL Is but four pounds. To nye bushels
added four and half pounds of salt dissolved IN pail
fu OF warm water. After three hours additional
paifu OF added and mixed, and after other
hours nve pasful more. When the various kDeRd pgs
are comp eted the mixture being otherwise modified BY
the action Of Yeast alum soda acid or any
other substance according TO the particular practice of
the baker "a placed ia the Oven The loss by BAKING
firing IL is called in quartern loaf OF four pounds
nlteen found 70 be nine ounces eight drains
only.
Dr Ure quoting from Dumas' "Chimie Applique"
speaking Of French Bread says that OF -four
weighing 159 kogrammes tthe klogramme IS 900
grammcs each ANNE equivalent to u 300 grains Eag
lish words, II is 220548 lbs avordup1s pro
duces l02 Ioaves, weighing 2o2 kilogrammes-the mean
y,ed being about i3O kilogrammes OF bread 100
the aour cmp 81. and admitting that common flour
grammes Of broad Tor 100 Of -four absolutely dry. Dr.
Bernays, in hs admirable work on "houTehold Chem's
try says age 25 that three pounds of flour usually
reyan after baking pound OF water" II is there0
evident that, from barrel OF flour is produced
larger weight Of bread than pound for pound
According to the practice OF the English bakers 81
quarlern produced from five bushels
OF Hour weighing $50 lbs These quartern loaves OF lbs
each would be equal 364 loaves OF H. each and the
profit would OF depend the price Of flour and
that OF bread at the time the latter manufactured
As all attempts made TO ascertain from bakers
their system OF working their dour have failed
70 comparisons IN order to get at tho truth.
Taking barrel or -four OF 1876 pounds at SIC per barrel
less than i've different qualities OF flour, low
we'll az high grades, In making ordinary bread This,
salt, aud perhaps other materials. would produce OF
bread one third moro weight, about 28lk pounds
which, ut 6 ces tue present price Of loaves weghing
but Of pound would produce SIG 81 per
barrel The barrel itself is worth at least fy
more, and may added SO that the profit working
barrel OF flour costing $40 into bread is So 81 Pies
cakes &c, sold a. higher rate than bread and
their quality and taste much changed BY the addition
or Sweets filings, &C., commsuer kind of -four used
with impunty. Nothing is more certain or more com
than hear housekeepers complain OF the
OF the cake which is now sold n the shops Tho fact
mi niy 0f rvwilh = dic
guised by the addition OF certain articles, that may
rest assured the bakers flour ordinarily OF price
below the quotations Of even good superGns and, Of
dollars gained on teu must soon enable industrious
baker, with good custom y retire from business and
sink tne shop.
MONTH though -four has fallen least S. per bar
REL only the price kept up, but the loAves rolls
twist, &c are diminishing IN size and weight Though
gold has fallen nearly ninety per cent within few weeks
tho bakers made increase In tho OF their bread
reduction in the price, On contrary the size
been constantly diminishing.
Under these circumstances II ID . consideration OF
pass ass3s ordinance protect consumsrs-
especially the poorer cassrom tho unfair demands OF
bakers. who, thousand barrels OF -four converted
Into bread, pocket profit Of about 81 900.
In Paris where the government takes that bread
shall be dear the assze y hxed every fifteen days.
BY order or police and II s also many
only mad sssizes Of bread but at tme both New
Jersey and Alabams the prices OF entertainment in
taverns were nxed BY law For many years there was
regular assze Of bread both In New York and Albany.
IT, therefore, the bakers continue 70 charge sixty por
cent profit ana moro upon the bread they give dis
regard the fall 10 gold and give smaller osves our
grows cheaper we may very properly call on the Com
mon Council for Assize II those who furnish with
the star Of life pay such unfair and exorbant
prices for II shall BE- justified, 70 homeiy OK
precision, in making thsm ''cst their stick" o. PQ.