San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-12-20
A BAKER EXPLAINS
Why Bread is so High in San
Antonio.

70 the Daily LIGHT:
So much is being written about
cheap bread, l would like to give
you few facts on the bakery bust
ness. Those writer's seem TO think
that bakers make too much money
because flour is cheap at present
That we sell bread cheaper on that
account they don't notice. Flour
is cheap, but are the other expenses
any cheaper than before? No. Our
men get the same wages $3.50 to
Sl4 per week, which is enough con-
sidering hard times, but it is not a
cent too much, because to bake
bread is hard work. To deliver
bread we need horses and wagons q;
corn and oats are high, but we have
to feed our horses just as much
oats as when flour was higher. The
blacksmith and wagon repairer
charge the same for their work as
last year or any other year. Wood
is not any cheaper. Everything is
the same price as it was years ago.
The bread at present, and for the
last five or six months, is sold at
the rate OF 80 loaves for 81, and
that is as cheap as good bread can
be made. If any one wants Cheap
John bread he can get it, as there
are a few bakeries in town selling
two loaves for cents. | suppose
that kind OF bread is worth =!
cents, but a first-class loaf can
not be made at that price. You
can get some flour as cheap as $3.50
per barrel, but the best kind is
worth 81 to 1925 per barrel. Do
you see any difference? There is
as much difference between a good
and a bad loaf of bread as there
is between good and bad butter or
coffee. Why do people pay 30 and
40 cents for butter when they can
get same as cheap as 20 and %
cents? The same is in coffee or tea,
or in fact anything you buy. Is it
not very unfair to ask baker to
sell his bread at such price that
he cannot make living wages?
Some writer's surely demand that.
We have so many bakeries in
San Antonio and the compe.
tition is so large, that the price
Of bread will always be at the low
est point. Competition alone does
that. II we had a bakers union,
you would think that we had COM
bined to keep the price up, but
such is not the case. On the con-
trary, each one seems to uudersell
his neighbor. Many people think
that all the bakers are rich men. If
they have to pay rent or taxes it is
natural for them to let the baker
wait for his money, and in many
cases the rich (?) baker has to bor-
row money from somebody at 1917
to pay his expenses. Some writer's
talk about how cheap bread is in
England. Don't they know that
labor is cheaper there? They don't
deliver like they do here, conse-
quently don't need so many horses
and have no wagons and harness
to repair. All this is big item in
bakery here. Do these writer's want
us to pay starving wages here in
San Antonio like they do in the
old country? | hope not.
[ wish some writer's would in
form themselves and gain facts be-
fore they write about something,
which they don't know. Wonder
il half the kickers ever thought
about how hard a baker has to
work to make his living. / never
would advise anybody to learn the
baker trade. Customers demand
fresh bread every day in the year.
A baker has no Sunday like any
other business or laboring men. He
has to work every day in the year.
christmas is the only day we
don't work. When other men lay
down to rest and sleep the baker
has to work. or course he can sleep
In day time, bat everybody knows
that day sleep is not as good as at
night. 1t simply is against nature.
L must say that we don't work in
cellars like they do in the old coun-
try and in large cities in this coun-
try. We have well ventilated bake
shops and good sleeping apart
ments, but all this does not give us
the natural sleep which Is at night.
When other laboring men go and
see good play at the Grand opera
house or go to some other enter
tainment, the rich(O baker has to
stay at home and work.
Thanking you for your kindness
l am yours, LOUIS SEIDEL,
Baker.
Under New Management.