Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-16
Baker Seitz Says 1t is Now Alto
gether Too High.
cam Be sold At four CENTS A LOAF
Figures Given to Prove the Truth
of His Assertions.
WHAT OTHER BA .ERS SAY

boss bakers rise up in a body and protest
against 1t as an outrage, saying that there
is the narrowest margin of profit loaf
now and if the price were reduced even a
fraction of a cent they might as well shut
up shop at once.
But there is one baker, at least, in the
city of Washington who does not agree with
lis associates. This is John F. Seitz, who
has had a bakery ON New York avenue be-
tween 10th and 18th streets for an even half
century, and claims to have been in the bus
iLess longer than any other man in town
During the first administration of President
Grant he had fight on this very question of
the price of bread. He won his contention
and the fight was enc of very general inter-
est at the time. The proposition was broach-
ed among the bakers to raise the price Of
bread above the figure at which it then
stood. Mr.. Seitz objected and claimed that
there was fair margin of profit at the ex-
isting price. There was question as to the
amount of bread which could be made from
barrel of flour, and the claim was made
that Mr.. Seitz had overestimated the num-
Der of loaves- 1t was agreed to submit the
matter to test and subscription was TAX
en- up to defray the expenses. A govern
ment official who had charge of the baking
for one of the government institutions of the
city was selected as referee and Judge, and
when the test bake was made Mr. Seitz'S
estimate was within few ounces of correct
while the figures of those who argued for a
raise were from sixteen to twenty loaves to
barrel out of the way. The flour made
more bread than they had been willing to
admit.
What Mr.. Seitz Says.
This morning Star reporter called Mr..
Seitzs attention to a communication in The
Star last evening which claimed that the
present retail price of bread-5 cents a loaf
is too high.
That's one side of the question, MIR.
Seitz; what The Star wants is to have both
sides. What have you to say for the other
side?'
THE other side? Why. my dear young
fellow, there is only one side. l read that
communication, and all 1 have to say is
that it is the best article on the subject I
ever saw. 1t is true-every word of it.
This thing of charging ) cents loaf for
Tread during these hard times, especially
when flour is lower than 1T ever was before,
is the biggest outrage that was ever perpe-
trated on the community. There is abso-
lutely no reason for it except the desire to
make unreasonable profits a small in
vestment. Talk about Washington Gas
stock, or Capital Traction stock-why, they
are not in it for minute in the matter of
big profits and quick returns compared
with bread at present prices. The boss
bakers can make bread and sell it at 3k
cents a loaf and make big money at that.
If it retailed at cents the grocers would
have half -ent of profit, which is pretty
fair margin, it seems to me, when you con-
slider that they run no risk at all. for the
bakers take back all unsold leaves
Some Figures Given.
Now, I know what am talking about
for 1 have not been in this business fifty
years just for the fun of the thing Then
he got out a pencil and paper. Figures
are hard thing to go up against, he con-
tinued. "A barrel of flour will make 26O
loaf that comes to $40. Flour is now $3.50
a barrel, which leaves $500. Now, allow
S3-a very liberal allowance, too-for the
other ingredients labor wear and tear on
wagons and other expenses, and you have
500 clear profit on every barrel of flour
used. l am baking four barrels Of flour a
day just now, which would mean $3.50 a
day. Not so very bad, is it, now? Then,
how about the big bakeries which use from
ten to fifty barrels every day in the year?
And yet they say they can't afford to sell
for less than four cents to retailers and five
to their customers direct. AS it is now, the
retailers, or gIocers, make a cent of profit
on each loaf they sell, or % per cent profit
every day on the money they invest In
bread. 1t seems to me that at times like
the present, when so many people are in
121a per cent a day. And yet. there is a
howl every time any one talks about bread
retailing at cents.
Let me give you a couple of instances to
illustrate what / mean. l suppose l have
supplied more government institutions OH
contract than any other baker in Washing
ton. For years I furnished the Jail with
bread at sos hundred leaves. 1 finally
lost the contract when another baker bid
for 1T at $3.50, or less than cents a loaf,
and I don't think he was doing it for his
| health, either. Yet that man is one Of the
worst calamity howlers when there is talk
of cutting down prices bit.
again, 1 furnished the Soldiers Home
| with bread at 49, cents. and didn't do a
O.. 80 =,
| contract. And flour was never less than
| $3.50 at any time.
Commission to the Drivers.
Now, another point. The boss bakers
pay their drivers so much week and a
commission On all they sell over certain
| amount. Now, where does that commission
and the extra profits to the baker come
from? Out of the bellies OF the poor. l
| say it is an outrage to overcharge the poor
| that way These are serious times, and We
| ought all make some compromises. l am
/ not talking about paupers now, but about
| the actual poor, who manage somehow to
| pay their own bills and do not live on char
| ity, and to whom cent on every Loaf
| of bread means a good deal. l could take
| the contract for furnishing bread to the
| poor, If the contracts We're large enough
| at 21a cents loaf. i would leave a profit
| of S1.05 on every barrel. With five barrels
| or 300 loaves of bread day, that would
amount to more than $3.50 Il month, which
| / would consider pretty good interest Oh
| the capital invested
| Mr.. Fred. VOst's Views.
| Mr.. Fred. Vogt said: I'VE cannot reduce
| the present price of bread without reducing
| the wages of the men. Both of thes,
courses were adopted last year by most O
! the bakers except me- I would not Gu
down the pay of the men, though 1 had t.
| tj,a of no
lieve in paying my employees living wages
| all the year round Should a reduction oc
! cur, it will get us into trouble with the labo
| unions, and there is not a member of tn
| bakers exchange who wants anything o
| that sort to occur
Some people have an idea that bread il
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