The morning call., 1894-12-13
BECAUSE FLOUR is CHEAP.
And the Professionals Suffer in
Consequence.
BUT THEY KEEP UP PRICES.
The Answer Offered to the General
Question, "Why Is Bread So
High ?''
"Why is bread so high ?"

This question is attracting attention all
over the country. During the last twenty
years the price of flour has fallen from
81 TO So 20 per barrel, but the price of
bread has not fallen in anything like the
same proportion. Recently. however, in
St Louis, New York. New jersey, Phila-
delphia. and number of other Eastern
towns, the bakers have come down in their
prices with sudden run, and it is not
long since the City Council of Denver
passed an ordinance for a standard 16-
ounce loaf of bread to be SOLD by weight.
There will soon be police supervision of
all bakeries to see that ordinance is car
ried out.
In California prices remain pretty much
at their normal condition. Considering
the ratio between the price OF flour and
the price of bread it would seem at first
eight as if baker with a fair amount of
business would have no difficulty in amass-
ing a fortune in a few years. Bakers,
however, state that this is not so. More
money they say. can be made when -four
is high, even # the price of bread remains
unchanged. One of the managers at Page
& Falch's bakery, upheld by Mr.. FaIch
himself, stated this with good deal of
decision yesterday.
1.-The price Of flour is not every thing 10
be taken into consideration" he said.
''Since -four has gone down there has been
falling off throughout the entire trade.
The expenses go or just the same and
there is less custom. Now, take the fuel.
for instance. When the ovens are heated
up it is about the same thing TO bake a
large as to bake small amount OF bread.
The bakers are paid just the same and the
horses and wagons go round just as usual.
And yet where restaurants and coffee
-.
they only take $50 month now. For one
thing cheap flour brings more competition
into The business and, for another, it paws
the restaurants and hOardiug-h houses to
employ tteir own pastry cooks, even if
they still buy their bread.
Besides added Mr.. Falch. SIT is not
correct o state that bread is just the same
price as it was twenty years ago. The
loaves are made larger now, and reduc-
ton is made to wholesale purcha sers.
When a family only buys one or two loave,
day the cost is more in the delivery and
the making than In the -four. When -four
is low it means less business for u.s."
h. h. Young said that in his establish
ment a reduction 10 the price OF flour GER
tainly did not increase the profits of his
business. you can buy bread for almost
any price in San Francisco. Each bakery
is a law unto Itself / believe that In some
I laces you can buy six loaves for 10 cents.
Il would be sIl right to have an establi shed
rule to regulate the price of bread, but In
that case there would have 10 be standard
of quality, too. In this city, for instance,
there are men who give fifteen loaves for
a dollar. and others who give thirty for
dollar, and the first ones sell when the
others do not. Peotle do not only want
quantity, they want quality, and in San
Francisco competition regulates the price
of bread pretty well.
Zone reason for cheap flour not being
profitable to bakers is that careful house
wives are apt to figure out that it is
cheaper TO bake their own bread when
they can get the material for IS 20 bar
rel Now. with us the -four is Just one
item in the expenses. Wages. fuel, rent
and delivery count for a good deal more.
When the ovens are heated and the men
working they may as we'll get out a good
deal of bread as a small quantity, and the
lower -four goes the less demand there is
for their bread"
Miss Kate Plunkett Endorsed all that
had been said with regard to the careful
housewives making the bread for the
household al home instead of purchasing
it at the bakery.
Every one wants cooks nowadays who
can make Bread" she said. 1.-The richest
people, as well as the middling well-otf
ones, all want help that n bake. In
deed, my experience in supplying servants
teaches me that it is only the small fam
lilies that live in little fats and have in-
sufficient help or none at all that do not
fhd il worth while to bake at home.
''In all the big boarding-h0uses they keep
one cook now especially to make the bread
and pastry. Formerly they used to buy
from the bakeries considerably. but now
they have discovered that it pays them
better to make for themselves. Flour is
cheap and homemade bread is all attrac-
ton to the boarders.
what makes the bakers prices keep
up?" continued Miss Plunkett, ref ctively
1.-The mems wages have not been raised :;
it anything, they have been lowered OF
course, the bakers have not the custom
they used to have. Even brown bread is
made at home in all the big families. |
believe one reason is that the average
baker does not try to improve his bread
with the march of time, although no doubt
the cheapness of flour and the fact
that the price of bread has scarcely gone
down at all is the reason why every one
wants help that can bake"
1t appears an anomaly that cheap -four
should cause the bakers trade to dwindle
away, but as things look at present the
professional maker and blender of br- ad
has seen his best days. II -four continues
to go down there is no predicting what
may happen TO him.