The Washington times., 1895-05-13
On this Contingency Depends In
crease of Bakers Wages.
WHAT THE BOSSES CLAIM
They Say That If They Were to
Advance Their Journey mems Pay
Without a Raise In the Price of the
"Staff of Life" They Would Work
at a Great Loss.

The question as TO whether or not the
Journeymen bakers viii get an advance
in wages and uniform day of ten hours
hinges upon the contingency that the price
of bread viii go up.
When the committee OF nine, represent
ing International Union, No. 11S, and As
sembly No. 23s9, of the Knights OF Labor,
presented to the Bakers Exchange the
proposition .indorsed last Tuesday evening
by the Federation of Labor, they were met
with the assurance that the exchange
would consider the matter, and would also
canvass the question of increasing the price
of their product. The journeymen were
given to understand, though, that as flour
had advanced in price, the addition in
wages would not be possible unless the bread
can be sold at higher figure.
JOINT MEETING NEXT SATURDAY.
The matter was thus left In abeyanee,
the journeymen deferrng further consider
alton until joint meeting can be held,
which VIII probably take place at o'clock
p. m next Saturday.
There has been an agitation of a return
TO the prices during several months past.
In February there was considerable dis
cussion of the matter, but when is was sub
mitted to several of the leading Trims il was
dismissed with the remark that a great
many would be very glad to nave the ad-
vance ordered, but the time had not come.
1t was then foreShadowed that later in the
spring there would be an imitation of the
price OF a loaf, and from present indi-
cations it would appear that the auRpicious
time has arrived.
The statement was made last night that
a leading firm III the city Dakes from 2 900
to 10 ,000 loayes of bread daily, besides
rolls, cakes and other products. For the
bread alone, au average of about ?ort weight
barrels of flour are consumed. 1t was
argued that the reduction from fopr ceuts to
three cents per loaf meant TO that firm a loss
of fourth OF its revenue, or 81 20 per day,
and that an advance in wages would mean
further reduction.
Itwas also alleged that the ecpnsurnptiouo
bread has not visibly increased since the
reduction, but on the contrary there is,
if any difference, a slight falling off That
firm, and Others so situated, Gould not af-
ford TO advance wages nor reduce the number
of hours.
THERE'S MILLIONS IN IT
The other side of the question was given,
however, very tersely and with emphasis,
by wholesale aud retail dealer in flour.
De SAID.
The idea OF the boss bakers alleging
the advance in flour as a rea son for wanting
the price OF bread restored TO the old fig
uresl Why, know man who has made
over quarter of million of dollars sell.
ing bread. He sold his loaves at cents,
wholesale, when flour was Sc so per
barrel, aud higher.
Flour is now selling in 100 barrel lots
at So 81, but little more than oue-half
as much and yet he and others kicked
at the decrease OF one-fifth in the price
of bread when flour was even lower than
it is now.
Counting 25O loaves to the barrel,
blended flour the baker has 100 per cent.
profit; but they get really more than that
out of it, Blended flour is two falls
and two springs mixed, the first costing
less than the other"
What the outcome will be remains to be
seen, and the subsequent developments
viii be awaited with interest.