The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03
BREAD STILL STATS SMALL.
TAKERS SAY TOO MANY LOAVEs
ARE WANTED FOR THE PRICE.

one Loaf Accordingly Doesn't Get
Full Value for It-Figures That
Tend to show There Is No bonanza
in Baking bread at Present Prices.
IOaves VIII soon Be Increased In
size As@ Result of Cheaper Flour.
Why don't the bakers Increase the size
nj the Ioaves Of bread now that the price
nj -four has gone down? This is a question
mat has been frequently asked since the
recent slump in wheat and the correspond
io, drop in the cost of flour.
Before Letter and small stocks sent
neat to $l.S2 bushel the-1oaf of bread
tuned out of a Savannah bakery averag-
i ID it is said, over thirteen ounces in
weight. For several months past, though,
tue weight has been about a trihe over
Il even ounces. Now eleven ounces of bread
Il Is Considered a very small return for a
nickel and the portion of the pubic buying
ms bread by the loaf has felt itself some
4 hal imposed upon. The decline in flour
was hailed with pleasure as guaranteeing
4 al Increase in the size of the loaf but up
10 this time such expectations have not
Il been realized, and the requests for the rea-
q son why, have been both numerous and oft
& e.eated.
b A prominent bread baker, who probably
& o-s as large a bread business as is done
NJ savannah, explains it in this way:
The man who buys a single loaf of
is the victim of the desire of the
general public for a large number of
Il loayes for a quarter. Most bakeries in sa-
& ,annah are furnishing bread at seven
loaves for % cents, delivered just
az The customer may desire. This is but
trihe over three and -one-half cents a loaf
The amount of bread that is received I'M
q der this system by the parties buying
checks is fair return for their money.
#Ihey get all that they pay for. But the
Xperson who buys a single loaf and pays
#5 cents for 1t pays really one and a half
n cents more for his bread than it is worth.
B He pays heavily for the pleasure of buy
Inns that way 1t is somewhat on the same
Mpruciple as many articles are sold in the
b grocery trade. You viii see an article sold
at 10 cents, or two for fifteen. The party
#tuying one evidently does not get full val
DC for his money.
81 Bakers he continued, cannot make
#up two or three sizes of bread to meet such
10 condition If the public would not de-
Hnand so many loaves, but would take
weight instead, the bakers would be better
M1usded. Then a full scent loaf could
be baked But it is useless to suggest it,
The people want seven loaves for a quar-
er and we must furnish it.
There is another feature that the public
Wprhaps does not understand and that is
that many of the bakers are still work
ng up high price flour We buy -four
Nm L.
ng for it as we need it. We are now
putting in our bread flour we may nave
r. contracted for three or four weeks ago
Eefore the drop in values. AS soon as
he is used up 1 look for an increase in
Pie weight of the loaves, probably by
Two ounces. 1t also should not be for
gotten that bakers cannot use in bread
L he cheap winter wheat flour or the mixed
[ -four to any extent. We must have ct
4 least half of our flour of spring wheat to
H. The rising qualities. Spring wheat
1 -four as still selling at $3.50 TO $675 a bar
eL Winter wheat is sold at $500 a bar
PEI If we use half and half the cost to
s is still about $6.15 a barrel which is
POI very cheap flour"
What do you get out of a barrel Of
Mour the baker was asked.
III "A barrel of flour" he continued, will
HI cid APO ounces of dough. l have found
Mhat out by dong continued investigation
Meven ounces Will take about thirteen
ounces of dough, as the loss by evapor-
MI uon, etc, is about two ounces. We ac-
Hordingly get out of a barrel of flour
II bout 1872 loaves of bread of the present
Mmall size. Selling the same at seven
ayes for the quarter nets us $11.75, but \
owing a fair proportion for store sales
cents a loaf, it might be said safely
nae we get from the barrel of flour work
Md up into bread about $500. Deductng
le cost of the flour there is a balance Of
". out of which must come all ex-
enses of the baking and the cost of Ge-
Htiy, before there is any profit for the
Hsker.
have Sdgured it out that the actual
No. OF the -four in a loaf of bread at pres
H. quotations is 1.S5 cents, and the cost
baking when one turns out 500 loaVeS
day about 60 of a cent, making the cost
the loaf before it leaves the bakery 21a
h's The cost of delivering 500 lOaves of
adi including the keep of the horse,
NJ wear and tear on the horse and wagon,
10 the hire of the man, is about $3.50, so
lat there is left but a net profit of $2.50
mat amount of bread. Ii may surprise
me OF the public, who appear to believe
~ tnere are phenomenally large profits
the business
II baker handles~smuch store trade
~ pfohts are stil further reduced To
grocery stores thirty-two loaves are
"Fered for ST. This is practically cents
odl. The storekeeper makes 60 cents out
tAe bread, which he sells at 5 cents a
a. WINE the baker makes but half
~ .oaf, or 16 cents. Personally, have
opptd selling the grocers. 1t is too much
giving away bread"
MADE $4,000 IN ONE YEAR,