The San Francisco call., 1896-03-27
BREAD SELLS FOR A SONG
Three Loaves Delivered in
Town for Five
Cents.
WAR AMONG ITALIAN BAKERS.
Dealers Carrying on the Fight With
Energy While Consumers Re-
ceive the Benefit.
WAR AMONG ITALIAN BAKERS.

AS result of the war between the
Italian bakers three loaves of bread can
now be purchased for cents.
NJ. Bacelli & Co. of the Cooperative
Bakery at 1861 Union street introduced
the cut, and in order to drive the firm out
of business the Union of Italian Bakers,
which is composed exclusively of manu-
facturers and dealers, and which is a
powerful organization, established store
at 1421 Dupont street, where three loaves
of bread are also sold for cents. The
competition is carried on with much
energy and keenness, and the people who
purchase Italian and French bread are de-
irving benefit from it.
Bacelli & Co. seem pleased with the
prospects of what promises to be long
and bitter fight, as they say that they are
now selling on an average 5000 loaves OF
bread day, and by handling such large
quantities at low prices they can make the
business pay, though they confess that
they will not get rich at it.
F. T. Guinasso of 1909 Dupont street is
president of the Bakers Union which is
fighting Bacelli & Co. He says it is i'm
possible for the manufacturer to sell three
loaves of Italian or French bread for 5
cents and make a living in the business.
The dealers in the union sell two loaves
for nickel. Formerly it was one loaf.
There are nine bakers belonging to the
nnion. They are as follows: f. T. Gui-
nasso. 1909 Dupont street; c. Lucchesi d
Brother. 323 Broadway; Razzetto q Ur-
bani, 14O7 Dupont street; l.. Favilla & Co.,
1908 Stockton street; A. Massone u Co..
1889 Dupont street; A. Cuneo & Co., 511
Green street; s. Paganini, 14131a Dupont
street; F. Calegari q Co., 4271z Union
street; Angelo Petri, III Francisco street.
'In February, 1896" said Mr.. Guinasso
yesterday, "Levrero opened place at 1407
Dupont street and commenced selling two
loaves of bread for cents. This was the
beginning of all the trouble. Up to this
time the Italian bakers sold one loaf for 5,
just the same as the French and German
bakers. This one loaf weighed almost as
much as the two which we now sell for 5
cents. These two weigh about one and
half pounds. Well. when the cut was
made the old dealers got together and
pont street and began selling three loaves
for cents. Of course the place was run
at loss, but the union stood it, and Le-
vrero was obliged to 60 out of business.
He had TO compete with the union, and,
as he could not make expenses, his busi-
ness went to the wall. The union then
closed up its shop where three loaves were
SOU IOT y CtlUS, anu buc uuliOIIu IdtO VI ~
cents for two loaves was established among
the bakers.
1--WE not only sell three small loaves of
bread for cents, and three large ones for
TO-" SAID Mr.. Bacell, 'but we deliver them
to any part of the City. We cannot supply
the demand. OF course, our trade is done
on cash basis. We could not afford to
carry on credit business at such low fig
ures for bread. Our sales average 5000
loaves day. OF course, we do not expect
to grow rich; but we are paving expenses,
and that satisfies us while the combine
continues to try and drive us out of busi-
ness.
''The union has gone to all the mills in
San Francisco, and even to Oakland, to
influence them from selling us flour, to
injure our credit. But we buy for cash,
and are independent of the mills and
dealers"
During the day there was q constant
stream of men, women and children
passing in and out of the bakery burdened
with bread at "three for 5"