Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-09

With a show of regard for their custom
ers. the members Of the Bakers Associa-
ton of this city have announced their in
tention of reducing the price of bread. but
Investigation. even of a superficial sort.
makes quite plain the insincerity Of those
who have for some time past been charg-
ing tneir customers more for bread than
was proper. Within three years the price
Of -four has fallen ~ per cent, but there
has been reduction whatever in the
price of the loaf. Reasons for this were
advanced by bakers who were interviewed
yesterday by The Star. but the reasons were
Of the unconvincing sort. Last night the
Bakers Association made up it's mind that
something had to be done, and. after dis
cussing the subject, concluded to announce
that in the future n loaf would be made
without lard. milk or sugar and sold to the
retail dealers for 3 cents, so that it could
be disposed of to the customer for cents;
and. to prevent any possibility of over
charging, all these loaveS would be stamped
with large figure 4. That such a trans
parent effort at compromise will be accepta-
BILE 10 the general public is not at all prob
able. for the proposition is to sell an in
ferior loaf for 1 cent less than the good
loaf. and although there would. of neces-
sity, be purchasers who would buy the
cheaper article, the great majority of Gus
somers will continue to buy the scent loaf
and will not receive any benefit whatever
from the action of the local association.
1t Is simply absurd to say that reduction
in the price of the present Scent loaf is
impossible; the 40 per cent diminution in
the price Of fiour-which. of course, is the
principal constituent in bread-is evidence
that cannot be controverted. Viewing the
fol,
Star from a purely impartial standpoint, it
indicates a combination between the en-
rloying bakers and their employees to con-
duct the bread-making business in a pecu-
larry selfish manner and without the
slightest regard for the many to whom the
price of their daily bread is a considera-
ton of Importance. Some of the employing
bakers say that reduction in the price of
the frst-class loaf is not possibility here,
because; the wages paid journeymen bakers
are so very much higher than they are
elsewhere The argument is, to say the
least Of it, extraordinary, for Ii assumes
that the few journeymen bakers in this
city ara able to compel their employers to
pay them all the way from 30 to 80 per cent
more than is paid in neighboring cities for
the same or even a smaller amount of
work The absurdity of such reasoning
must DC iudulIeSl tne simple
minded. A trust composed of capitalists
Is naturally most unpopular; why should
there be sympathy for trust that is COM
posed of employers and employes-banded
together in the interest of greed and with
out regard for the rights of the many
thousands to whom the product of the trust
Is necessity? Perhaps the Bakers Asso-
Citation iniagines II will be lauded for its
nagnanimity In putting a Accent loaf with
In the consumers reach, but II may be dis
appointed. for there are those in this city
who viii see in the imaginary reform moth
ing more than an effort to squeeze out of
existence the small bakers who have for
several years been doing as a natter of
business what the Bakers Association has
put on exhibition a virtue. The AGENT
loaf has long been an article of commerce
here. and. Of course. 1t has been inferior
To its high-priced competitor. There Is,
therefore, no public demand for a 4-cent
loaf Of the character decided upon by the
Bakers Association If the association
wants to be fair with its ultimate custom
ers 1t should speedily make such arrange
nents with its empioyes-who now share in
the spoils taken from the consuner-to
produce and sell as good a loaf for cents
as is now sold for 5.