The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-05-10
The PRICE OF BREAD,
Wash. Cor. Baltimore SUM-

The recent rise in the price OF Dreau
has drawn public attention again to a
subject which has from time to time en-
gagged the attention of municipal author
tiles in this country for a century past.
An experimental baking, conducted
many years since by the corporate au'
thorities of one of the district towns,
gave 275 pounds Of bread as the product
of one barrel Of flour.
This was only the succinct statement
of fact which may be stated more at
large in condensed extract from the
minutes oithe Common Council of Alex
andria lat that time in the district to
the effect that the Common Council APP
pointed committee on the subject of
the proper assizes of bread, and that
committee reported that "the clerk OF
the market attended Andrew Estave in
baking one barrel of -four into bread,
and that it produced 275 loaves of sixteen
ounces each" Other bakers ofthe town
also made experimental bakings from
one barrel Of -four, with the following
results: David Henderson, 280 pounds
Duncan Charles, 268 pounds; Thomas
Simms, 1852 pounds; Lawrence Swan. 25S
pounds, and Samuel Cooper, 246 pounds.
On this subject leading baker addressed
Yesterday decorous note TO the Wash
ington bureau of the Sum- he Commu.
niCates a most interesting report of Ma
ior George Bell, United States Commits
sary of subsistence, lately in charge of the
depot in this city, from which it appears
that on the 10Th ofMay, 1871, the Bakers
Association of this city delivered to Ma
ior Bell three barrels of -four; one, Balti-
more extra brand, 1893 pounds one,
Washington extra brand, 1876 pounds,
and the third, Washington extra brand,
194b pounds. He produces from this
-four averaging 192.04 pounds to the
barrel), ian average weight of bread for
each barrel of 256.66 pounds" Major
Bell says; "Had all the barrels contained
1856 pounds each, and all the -four worked
up in the same manner, the yield Of
bread would have been 26l,S0 pounds"
Major Bell, while stating that the av-
erage yield of flour used at the Govern
ment bakeries in Washington, Alexan-
dria and the neighborhood during the
late war was 31.1 per cent. increase, gives
also the mean average monthly yield of
the bakery of the Subsistence Depart
ment in this city as varying from BIZ per
cent, or 258 pounds, to 40 per cent, or
174.7 pounds of bread in barrel of 1876
pounds. The increase depending, of
course on the quality of -four used, it be-
ing in these cases (of larger production)
the best Southern red wheat, ground at a
mill in Georgetown.
1t thus seems evident that the quantity
of bread yielded by barrel of flour de-
pends mainly on the quality Of the flour,
somewhat on the skill ofthe baker, and,
perhaps, a little on atmospheric pressure
At the government bakeries here the
Weld was, according to Major Bells state.
ment, from 1861 pounds to 274,4 pounds
of bread to the barrel. According to the
Alexandria statement the yield was from
246 to $50 pounds; while the three barrels
of extra flour furnished Major Bell by
the Washington Bakers Association
yielded at the rate of 26l.Sl pounds per
barrel. All these calculations are based
on the assumption that barrel of flour
contains 1876 pounds. The bakers view
of the matter is well set forth in the fol.
lowing statement by Mr., John F. Haven.
ner, one of the leading men in the bread
trade in the District. He says: The
bakers have to purchase the flour after it
is inspected, and never get the full guam
tity, 1876 pounds. Major Bells expert
ment should satisfy any fair-minded per-
sons that even when the greatest care Is
taken the baker can only calculate on a
fraction over 256 loaves from each barrel,
and in fact taking the genera run offour
the experience of most men in the trade
is that 1t is unsafe to expect more than
$50 loaves. Secondly, Of the bread made
in the District cities about two'thirds is
sold by the bakers to the grocers, and
through them reaches the consumer,
Now take $50 loaves at the present ad'
yanced prices, which are five cents to
stores and six cents to families, delivered
as above stated, and the product of one
barrel OF flour will give the baker S13.33;
deduct price of bakers mixture per bar
rel, $3.50, and you have gross profit Of
So. SO, from which is too be again deduc-
ted the expenses of the business, house
rent or taxes, horses and wagons, wages
of iourneymen, and last, but not least,
bad debts, for the old adage, Eaten bread
is soon forgotten is every day expert
enced by those who supply the people
with bread, and l think you will find
that it is necessity and not avarice which
has compelled the bakers to increase the
price of bread"