Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-09
A FOUR-CENT LOAF
Bakers Propose to Give Poorer Bread
a Cent Cheaper.
RESULT OF A MEETING LAST MIGHT
Jouneymen Say There Has Been
No Recent Increase Of Wages.
THE LABOR AND MATERIAL

Following closely upon The Stars publ.
cation Of yesterday calling attention 20 the
fact that no change has been made I'm the
retail price of bread in this city, although
the cost OF dorr has been greatly reduced
WITHIN the past two years, comes action by
the bakers I'm the line OF furnishing cheaper
bread At meeting of THE bakers ex-
change last night IL was resolved hereafter
TO bake a loaf of bread which can be sold
10 the retail dealers for 3 cents. and fur
nished to the citizens for 4 cents This loaf
according to the statement of the bakers,
Is to be made Of the best -four, the same
grade used In the making OF the finest quail
ities OF Vienna bread, but is not TO contain
milk lard or sugar. the Ingredients which
now. the bakers claim, make the bread
sold In Washington of a quality surpassins
the standard bread of other cities.
1t will thus be seen that the bakers have
met the demand of the people for cheaper
bread by reducing the quality in proportion
10 the price. IL is thought, however that
this VIII rot satisfy the citizens. who de-
mand a reduction in the price OF the great
staple Of life, but who are not willing to
go back to the quality OF bread with which
they had 10 be content before the modern
steam bakery, fine fiour and new processes
for the mixing and baking came into vogue.
The Meeting Of Bakers.
lne nneetlng OF tne Dakers eNCnange,
which was held at Mr.. Schneiders once
last night. was atte lded by representatives
Of all the firms composing that organiza ton
OF employers, namely: Chas. Schneider.
Havenner & Co.. Geo. Klinke. Berens &
Son, VIM. Stohlman. Kraft Bros. Robert
Blair, Boston Bakery, VIM. Weinberg. John
j. Ruth. II. Schulze and CAL Hoffman.
This list is said to include nearly all the
leading wholesale bakers OF the city. The
publication In The Star was discussed at the
meeting. and the correctness of the state
ments about the reduced cost of -four was
admitted. The feeling among the citizens
that cheaper bread should be furnished was
recognized and discussed. Each member of
the organization gave his experience and
views upon the subject and the matter was
thoroughly talked over.
The result of the conference was the adop-
ton of a motion made by Mr.. Schneider
that each r ember should hereafter bake q
loaf of bread Of the above mentioned de-
scription to be retailed for four cents. The
figure "A" is to be stamped in the bread, 90
that each buyer Will know what ne is get
ting. Ii was decided that no reduction can be
made in the price Of the higher grade OF
bread, that which is made with the aid Of
milk. lard and sugar at the present rate Of
wages paid to employees. and that a iower-
Ing Of the price of bread of the first quality
must be accompanied by reduction I'm wages
The Four-Cent Loaf.
1T must be explained" said Mr.. Schneider
to Star reporter today, that this 4-cent
leaf now TO be furnished win be q good,
wholesome loaf OF bread. In fact Il win
be the same loaf which was formerly fur
nished before We came TO using milk lard
and sugar 1t will be the same weight
contain the same grade of flour, but will
not be as rich as the scent loaf No one
can palm IL of upon an unsrspecting per-
son for q Scent Loaf because the price VIII
be stamped upon Il"
Talks by a Star reporter with citizens
interested In the reduction Of the price OF
bread indicate that the latest action of the
said that people who are satisfied with q
lower grade Of bread can now get ell they
want OF that kind for 4 cents a loaf as the
smaller bakeries now supply It
II is alleged that the action of the whole
sale bakers last night was, in fact not
SO much in the line of satisfying the popular
demand for cheaper bread as il was to
protect themselves against the competition
of the small bakers. 1t Is claimed that
under this new arrangement the business
OF the small baker, who heretofore has ex-
clusively furnished the cheaper bread will
be greatly reduced, as the wholesale bakers
can buy their Hour in larger quantities and
OF course can get IL cheaper, thereby en-.
ablng them to make their bread cheaper
than the smaller dealers. The assertion in
advanced, therefore, that the wholesale
bakers, instead OF being actuated by a de-
sire TO meet the public demand, are cal
cuaung upon line OF action designed
the market by combination OF powerful
interests which the small individual deal.
ers cannot combat
Not satisfactory.
The fact is" said one OF these citizens.
the bakers are now getting their -four
cheaper by from 30 to 40 per cent than
they did three years ago. They made bread
OF the present standard quality at the pres
ent price at the time when -four was 10
vhx-
that bread cheaper now, when -four is
cheaper? That is the position we take, and
none OF the explanations of the bakers
which have thus far seen have answered
our question. I doubt the expediency OF
stamping the bread. There are thousands
or people i'm Washington who are coupelled
py their circumstances to purchase bakers
bread They are too poor 10 make their
own bread. There are many in this class
however, who will seriously object 10 have
the stamp OF their poverty staring them
In the face at every meal"
From the Journcy yman's Point Of View
Mr.. Theodore Sonnenberg. master work.
man OF Labor Assembly No. 2ss9, one OF
the bakers unions, Is very much interested
In yesterdays publication In The Star Mr..
sehnenoerg Is an intelligent and weli-in-
formed man and takes an earnest interest
in the welfare of the craft To a Star re-
porter today Mr.. Sonnenberg said that Il is
true that a better quality of bread is made
ny the pdhers OF tnls city than in probably
any other large city Of the Union. He said
the workmen here get better wages than in
n any cities, bns that the statements upon
This line made by a prominent baker who
was interviewed in yesterdays Star were
greatly exaggerated.
Il think that the wholesale bakers could
reduce the wholesale price of their bread
without a consequent reduction OF wages"
said Mr.. Sonnenberg. 1T is probably true
that they could not reduce II TO the extent
of one cent per loaf, wholesale. That would
be a very heavy reduction, and Il is doubt
full II the profits would stand IT. but they
can certainly come down. Another mis-
statement was made by the employing
baker who was interviewed yesterday. He
said that 1t Is dlfficult to get bakers In this
city and that he had to send outside for
them. That is wrong. There are twenty
five bakers out Of work here today, who
would be glad OF employment. The men
are reasonably satisfied with the present
rate OF wages, but / do not think they
could stand reduction of wages"
Mr.. Sonnenbetg then submitted to The
Star a statement I'm writing I'm reply 10 the
interview of the employing baker published
yesterday. His statement is follows:
1.-THE issue of The Star yesterday con-
tained an article concerning the reduction
OF the price OF bread. In said article one
of the leading baker bosses claimed that the
high price of bread WAS cauned through thu