Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-09-15

BREAD AND BREAD WINNERS.
The sign Of the knights q Laler On
the Leaves.
WHAT IT MANS AND HOW II n STAMPED ON THB
LoAvEs-No DEMANDsNADs By THE JouRNzYxzx
EXCEPT THE DISCHARGE OF NoN-UN10N NRN-A
TALK WITH BOSSES AND JouRNEYHKN 40
Every one who buys bakers bread has noticed the
letters "K. L" stampedor punctured into the crust
the letters being formed by rows OF dots as II
they had been formed py punching the dough with
sharp piece OF wire. So generally has the stamp
come into use that it Is hard to ind loaf Of bread
baked in this city that5iS not ornamented with the
mystic letters.
at means" said Mr.. John l. vogt, the baker,
to STAR reporter, "that my men are union men.
That Is all Most all workingmen buy bread, and
they win not buy the bread that Is not stamped =
do the 1ourneymen bakers propose to strike p
~ don't know what they are going to dc" said
Mr.. yogt "TheJ have not struck yet"
81 suppose i could said Ar: vost {" but they
care you member Of the boss bakers associa-
ton 7" inquired the reporter.
mo" said Mr.. Vogt, have nothing to do with
that association"
HOW THE BREAD IS STAMPED.
''There you can see bow the bread is STAMPED. -
said MIS-. E. G. Stolp, the propretress OF bakery
on 9Th street, taking q loaf from the shelf and
showing the dotted lines to the reporter "This
bread" she said. taking up one OF those loaves OF
peculiar shape, like Gargantuan breakfast roll.
known as "close" bread, "is stamped on the bot
the top. Sometimes men come into the stores to
buy bread, and won't take this because they don't
sse sae 81 TIE has to be
boss bakers association" said Mrs Stolp: II
haven't had anything to DO with it yet / attend
Last Sunday a young man came to WORK here s for
one OF the men who was sick There was some
Trouble about IT, because he did not belong to the
union. That made it all right. don't see that
the stamp makes any difference, as everybody has
Back in MIS- stolp's bakehouse the reporter
found group OF tourneymen. 'All it means"
s sa Of 1hs that
There is no strike. hi show You how it is done.
80 the Journeyman took the little stamp, which
rows OF sharp pointed pieces Of wire, and patting
a little lump OF dough into shape pressed the
'Doesn't it take considerable time,n asked the
mo When man gets pan of bread ready he
runs over it very fast, like compositor setting
DO you stamp anything but breads" inquired
mo" said the 1ourneyman: .1t would be tunos-
sible to stamp rolls and then 1t is not necessary
WHAT THE PRESIDENT OF TIE JouRNRYMENs Asso-
CITATION SAYS
Mr. Joseph Ruhl, president OF the Journeyme en-
Bakers Assembly, was found in cap and apron
getting mountain OF dough ready for the oven
at Smiths bakery. "These stamps" he said ''were
issued to each bakery employing union men, and
were in the charge Of the foremen The bosses
We're not allowed to have them"
SIN Other trades" said Mr.. Ruhl, sthe men can
watch and see what the employers are doing but
we are 50 situated that we can't do that and we
Cant 1t be counterfeited?'' asked the reporter
=. mo, It can't because we have copyrighted it
sDon't all the boss bakers employ union hands?n
'There are some that don't We have given
bakers , who have scabs IN their employ until
charge the scabs,. we will take the union men out
and take their stamps away"
"Have the journeymen struck for better wages?n
inquired the reporter.
NO." there has been no strike, and the question
OF arranging scale Of wages has not been dis
mands"
"There are about twenty or twenty-five not In the
union the assembly has only been organized q
'Do you propose to help the boss bakers raise
the price OF bread7" inquired The SCAR
NO we can't do that" said Mr.. Ruhl laughing.
we nave made no demands on them, and ii they
raise the price OF bread 1t Is for their own benefit
not ours. They wanted us to boycott bakers that
didn't agree to keep up their prices Now we
S stocs The 90 VIII Tnat hep
crease Of wages but they would not help in any
Among the journeymen bakers the chief COM
plant Is on account Of tn long hours of labor In
working all night in the bake-house to take out
wagons and deliver tho goods In this way, in
ices they are Kept at work than
"sometimes we have to sit for twenty minutes or
half an hour waiting until the boss is ready to
course, comes out of us. The boss loses nothing
by it " The wages OF skillful Journeymen range
from $40 TO SIS week with board. each man being
allowed In addition two lOaves OF bread a day.
THE BOSS BAKERS ASSOCIATION
An organization has been formed among the
boss-bakers, and steps have already been taken
by them, as reported in The STAR, to regulate the
price of bread.
Mr.. Charlton, Of the well-known Havenner's
bakery. told a STAR man that the organization OF
bakers was really for the purpose OF sustaining
the Knights OF Labor and for this reason thew
stamp the letters TX. L." on each loaf OF bread.
denoing that they employ none but union work
n, or knights OF Labor" AS far as the effort
OF the bakers association is directed to control
the price OF bread he had very little confidence in
IL, Judging from past experience. This has fire.
always failed, as the mon would not sticl, tn.
gether. He thought however that there was a
more favorable prospect now than ever before.
BOSS BAKER OPPOSED TO RAISING PRICES.
4'' oonA L. ooitL, VI george SeltZ q Son, said In
reference to the X. L. stamp: "Most all of the
1ourneymen bakers have joined the union or
Knights OF Labor, and they adopted the stamp
that It might be known to the public who are
Chelr friends and who are nOt-thoSe boss bakers
employing union or K. L. hands being regarded as
their friends The foreman in each shop is the
RESPONSIBLE man, and he is the party to whom
tne stamp IS issued. Here it Is" said Mr.. Seitz
showing the reporter block OF wood about two
inches and half square, into which seventeen
pieces OF wire are driven to form the letters K L.
wv men the foreman" continued Mr.. SeitZ,
KNOWS That non-unlon men are employed he is
Obliged to give up the stamp"
us there any fixed rate Of wages?" was asked
II am not aware that there is any scale of
wages IN operation" said Mr.. seltz, ''but we pay
Wages which are satisfactory, ranging from SIS to
10 each man. rather think that we are paying
luii union wages II they have a set SCALE"
"What do you think" asked the reporter "of
bread" paw Va
rather think that the bosses have put their
Inv