The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-02-23

not, why should 1t not bot
This query briefly expresses n subject
OF general speculation In Wheeling for
some timo past. Indeed, the uttcrnnces
on the subject have gone beyond
speculation and taken on the form Of
complaints aud protests.
Tho charge is frequently heard that
tho bakers do not sell larger lonf Of
bread for n!cklo now than thoy did
when tho cost Of making bread was over
threo times what it is now. Tho matter
became tho subject OF such general
COMPLAINT that tho lSrELLIGEScER
caused carCiul inquiry TO DO maA into
tho facts and figures.
It's hard to make definite and relia.
bic comparison OF the weights Of various
loayes now and Mt any former time, for
the reason that no record OF weights ia
accessible. The statement is made BY
nearly every person asked the question.
Is tiyc.ccnt loaf of bread larger now
than II was ten years ago? at Is not"
So iar as tho memory OF man Ia to be
taken rs q guide, bread coats rs much
to-day rs 1t did when flour cost IS or $40
barrel. In fact, the common indic,.
meut brought against tho bakers ia that
tho price OF bread is arbitrarily fixed
by them, and has no equitable relation
to tho cost OF manufacture. There nre
few commodities which do not vary in
prIco with the raw material or the labor.
but it Is the judgment OF tho public, at
least go far as the Wheeling public il
concerned, that tho bread one eats is
one of those commodities.
THE COST OF BREAD.
liza pound Of bread ia worth nickel
when flour sells Mt IS barrel, it cor
tainly is not worth as much when flour
is selling at s.. Flour Is the main item
in the cost, OF course. The labor that
enters into bread-Daking Is scarcely n
consideration. 1t ia doubtful il any
class OF men are paid lower wages than
bakers. Some OF tie hands in a bake
shop arc paid US low as S. a week. The
wages Of journeymen bakers range from
81 10 50 week, and $40 is a high rate
for fancy baker. As a general thing
rents paid by bakers are not high, and
their ordinary expenses do not exceed
those OF merchants in other lines doing
as large q volume Of business.
Bakers who arc inquired OF say -four
costs So to g % barrel. From other
sources it was learned that -four ia inst
now bought, by Mt least some bakers. as
low as 50 S. barrel. ANY baker can
purchase good article OF -four mt that
price.
a gentleman who mas carefully OBJ.
served this matter said that the average
loaf OF bread which rctails for n nickel
does not contain pound OF flour. lie
figured, however. on q pound TO a LOAF.
or 1876 loayes OF bread to a barrel OF
flour. Suppose that all Of this is sold
to dealers who buy from the baker at
S. so hundred, as the grocers and
others do; then the baker realizes on
tho product OF barrel OF -four costing
81 IS the pretty liberal sum of Sc Sc.
This is the way the gentleman quoted
figured it out. OF course, other in.
gradients enter into the bread, but they
are not costly. On the bread retaiIed
by the baker over his own counter. OF
course, the profit Ia just SO much
greater. 1t would seem that tho ont
como TO the retailer who buys ut 81
cents and retalls at . was pretty fair
profit, too, as business goes now.
Aftcr hearing all OF this ground gone
over number OF times by various peo.
pie, tho lSTELLIGEScEG entered upon ita
own investigation.
THE WEIGHT OF BREAD,
The first dozen loaves OF bread re-
porter weighed, in East Wheeling. tip
ned the scales at even twelve hounds.
Some single loaves weighed an ounce
over pound and others made scant
pound. Ono particular brand OF one
concerns manufacture weighed as heavy
as pound and half to nickle loaf,
and another baker was found whose
loaves ran n pound aud six ounces or
seven ounces.
Observation showed that in bread as
in many other things appearances arc
deceptive; it is not the largest loaf that
weighs the most, ut least not ALWAYS.
Oi course, this alone is no objection.
Everybody wants his bread ljrht. but
his loayes heavy.
A South Side bakers squar fiye.cent
loaf was found 10 weigh l pound 1
ounces. These, as ia almost uniformly
the case with half.dime loaves, he sells
six for quarter. The same bakers
loaf Mt 10 cents or throe for n ouarter
weighed but pounds each, which
would make 1t seem economic alto buy
the smaller loavGs.
Another bakers round loaf two
pounds weight sells at s cents or two
loaves for fifteen cents.
Perhaps the best run OF bread for the
prices was at a bakery where a scent
LOAF, sold at for quarter, weighed q
pound and ounces, while an Scent
loaf, two Tor fifteen, weighed Q pounds.
Graham bread, 5 cents a loaf or g for Is
cents, weighed one pound two ounces,
while rye bread at tho came price
weighed one pound s ounces.
1t seemed to DO pretty we'll settled by
numerous trials that the average price
oil bread in Wheeling TODAY ia six
pounds for quarter. In addition to
thi, many bakers have ticket systen,
by which when u person has bought 100
loaVes and saved 100 tickets he gets
rebate OF % cents. This plan is de-
vised, OF course, to make m occasional
purchaser remain rs regular custom
or, and there are other prize or re-
bate schemes and Communication tickets,
but none OF these materially cheaper
the bread.
Considering the great amount OF
bread sold in Wheeling every day it
would seem to the average man that
tho profits conld DO reduced withou,
the bakers mourning danger Of bank.
ruPtcy. OF course, the more extensive
the facilities and tho larger the trade
oil a bakery; tho cheaper it can afford to
mako bread. ' -