Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-10

\ pertinent question and one that may
reas Dnably be asked of the employing bak-
ers in this city is: why are you not sat
isheI with profits that were undoubtedly
large enough prior TO the drop In the price
of four? IE the asking Of this question
the motive is not a prying one; there is no
desire to NEEDLE with private concerns
The sale Of staple food product like
bread is 50 general that il may reasonably
he regarded as a semi-public function Sew
eral OF the more prominent bakers who
have been interviewed by The Star insist
that a reduction of one cent per loaf is
not possible unless there first be re,iuc-
ton of the wages of employees or decadence
in the quality of the bread This conten-
ton hardly appears TO be borne out by the
facts Three years ago the bakers had to
pay 81 per barrel for dour and they then
sold bread apparently as good as any they
are selling today for four cents per loaf to
the retail grocers. who. in their turn. sell it
for five certs. Flour may now be purchased
for go per barrel yet the price of bread
remains unchanged: 50 that there is to the
baker m additional profit OF $50 on each
barrel of -four converted into Ioaves. The
authorities agree that a barrel of flour
makes I'D leaves of bread and il those
loaves were sold for one cent each less
than the present rate the $50 of extra
profit would go into the pockets of the pur-
chasing public instead of being added to
the bank accounts of the bakers. 1t was
alleged by at least one of the employers
that wages had been increased during the
past three years; that allegation appears to
lack foundation. for Mr.. Theodore Son
nenberg. master workman of a Knights of
Labor assembly composed of journeymen
declared N hat
the statement made by the baker in ques-
1 ton were greatly exaggerated; that the
wages paid to the employees were not SO
high as to have an appreciable effect upon
the problem as IL now stands; that the ma
1ority of the jOurneymen receive about 81;
per week fer sixty-two hours work. 1t was
also made apparent by Mr.. j. G.. Schmidt,
ex-master workman of an assembly of the
knights Of Labor. that there has been no
general increase in the scale of wages since
June. ISIS In 1870 the hours of labor were
reduced from twelve to ten per day. but
IL will be noted that this change was also
prior to the beginning Of the extraordinary
decline that has taken place in the mar
ket value of -four. These solidly-supported
Statements make it evident that the jour-
neymen are in no sense responsible for the
stubborn attitude of their employers; the
means extravagant. The Star has shown
that there Is an apparent extra profit of
one cent per leaf at present prices but In
general way the employing bakers will
not admit the accuracy OF the conclusions
although they present no figures In sup
port OF their contention. 1t is intimated
that a slight reduction-say about half
cent per loaf-couE be arranged for but
say the directors. the public would not be
the gamer in case il should be done. The
way out of the dificulty-lf there really be
a difficulty-was indicated yesterday by a
sensible woman who wanted to know why
the bakers could not add the half or three
quarters of cent OF material to the pres
ent loaf. The law says that the smallest
loaf of wheaton bread shall not be less
than sixteen or more than eighteen ounces
avoirdupois. 1t is safe to say that very
Employing. bakers to whom it was sug-
SeSted that nineteen or twenty ounce
loaf would be about the proper thing for
five cents have promptly taken refuge be-
hind the statute. which provides an eigh-
teen-oJnce limit. Interviews with Judge
Kimball and Prosecuting Attorney Pugh.
which appear elsewhere in The Star, should
be sufficient assurance to the bakers that
the law would entirely ignore alleged vio-
lations in the public interest. The limit
never intended to make bread any
dearer than 1t ought to be. The bread
eating public anxiously awaits such ac-
ton by the bakers association as will be
fair to the consumers and creditable to the
bakers.