Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-22
THE RREAn QUESTION.
Modern Mactia~ry should Cheapea
the Cost.


the Cost.
The most noticeable thing In bread circles
today seems TO be that the bakers are
awakening TO a realization that the public
believes that IL is entitled 20 cheaper bread
oy reason OF the price OF wheat OF -four and
or the Introduction OF labor-saVlng MAJ
chinery into the baking business The as
sertion which one baker nude that the intro
duction OF costly and complicated machinery
had not resulted in cheapening the cost II
production. IL Is said. was utterly absurd.
Why do they invest in machinery Il Il docs
not enable them 10 produce bread at less
cost Why. Il is said. can a baker Who
operates an establishment with hand power
not compete with those establishments en-
ployinG machinery unless that machinery
decreases the cost OF producing a loaf u
ad.
With the great reduction Of the price Of
aour ana thu improvements in the pro-
ceSscs Of Iaaling IL. ana the decrease In the
cost Of producing the loaNcs 81 bread. why
is II. II u argued that the consumers have
70 pay more Tor their bread than formerly.
4 htSe-are the pertinent questions which
hundreds Of bread eaters are putting 10 the
hakeman. IL does not seem like "A salts
factory answer to say that she public and
the press are me iiliug with the private az
airs Of the bakers. This il the alleged an
sWer Mnicn the reporter has received from
2 number - bakers some have tull him
that the price 81 bread might De- ch,apcued
some are liberal enough 10 declare that IL
ought 70 De. Some 90 - FAR az 20 say that
II has been cheapenei. and that they are
making today as good bread Tor I cents re-
tail m.nN other bakers in town arr get
ing cents FOR. They say hat the public IS
slowly finding This out, and that the sales
Il this Accent bread are increasing at a
staady rate. All the bakers make bread
which they sell at I cents. but many of
Item gENsIf that il T.. frs
which is s1ll for > cents. Some, however
claim 10 make as good as tne best FOR . cents
and get iair prJnt from g. These men
think that the matter II bread should he as
riEidly under municipal direction a. some
other lines Of trafr. Inferior ana unWloie-
some bread is being steadily sall Short
weight bread Is also patinra ~.
4 Bakers Problem.
70 the Iditor Of TIN E,arur star:
1 send you The following baker, rr1b-
lem" II the bakers a., not abe ta -live
H. let them set sa.ac 5f our .sya.l boys
Jr girls Ia help them
If 4 baker halse- int, bread a barrel 2
Hour each day. costing S!.,.a ard s.;ls the
bread At gain Of 81 I.- cent. 4ai invests
The proceeds, rom day to Jay in luur anI
sells the ufcrpss"i amount. at are same
rate OF ea,a; what Wlu lie ATS gain Tor
the first day Tor the second lag. fcr the
seven n day anu Tor a year?
Ans. First day. SIN. sec IA dty. Sg.sS.
seventh day, S,-S.a. Tire gain on tne syy-
enth day j. az per cent.
The gain FOR Il year may Be found ~
involving jwO-nfths al one dollar me gain
Of one Jay, 70 the 5Gi power, pas the hrst
investment, 800. Il. X.
The Public Interest in Bread.
10 the Editor Of The Ey,uin,- star:
wish you had instructed your report r
TO give the name of the baker Who con-
sidered the price OF bread a question with
which the public ought not TO couc-ru il
self. A certain railroad maEnate has
rendered his name Infamous for a genera
ton after that he VIII be forgotten by
Icmarl1iag in regard To railroad fares, The
public be do" But the man who GAYS
the same in regard 10 the price Of bread
has reached A lower level. fer pr r-on can
at least maintain life without riiin2, on a
railroad, but bread he must have. l con-
slider that The star is doing more go1t 10y
it's agitation OF the cheap bread question
than by ali tn politics IN its columns
There may be some question as 10 the
effect Of a tariff of 20 per cent on an ar
ticle. but difference u ~ per cent on the
bread that viii be eaten IN Washington
during the coming winter comes home to
every household and will be n matter Of
vital importance TO 1o.wst families that will
lind il a desperate struggle to obtain bread
at any price. Please afford me space 20
assure the man who contends that the price
OF bread concerns only the few dozen boss
bakers In the city. and that the Other
2StbDD citizens Of Washington must keen
silence on pain OF his Indignation. that an
Increasing number Of us are drifting to-
ward disposition TO make il our business
TO see whether We are dealt with honestly
or swindled. / +. Mo-