The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-30

have been found to have been lived up
to by the BAKERS of6the city the most
serious remissness on their part be-
ing in the weight of the Ioaves
1t was found by Mr.. OeF'ossse that a
loaf of bread which ought TO weigh
two pounds never did weigh in this
city over ] IL pounds, and in gone
cases less than that. The other sized
loaves were under weight in about the
same \ oportion.
1t was also found that in the por-
lions of the city where the people are
the poorest, the size of The loaf is the
I east. A difference of IA of q pound
Eas found in loaves supposed to be OF
he same size, but coming from east
and west side bakeries. The difference
was always in favor of the west side
consumers.
Mayor Dodge is of the opinion that
there has been a systematic robbery
conducted by the bakers for TOO long
time in this matter and there will
shortly be a change in the way in
which the law is observed or some
will have trouble on their heads in
explaining why they have not lived up
to it's provisions.
Notice will be sent to the dealers in
bread all over the city informing them
of the requirements Of the statutes
and they will be given two weeks to get
their signs printed and TO provide
means for weighing their broad. At
the expiration of this time the law will
be vigorously enforced and delinquents
will be brought to time with a short
turn.
Although the law is undoubtedly a
good one, it has fallen into allegiance
all over the state, and WcI>SsSter is the
first city where 1t has been enforced
provided this happens here according
to the present intentions of the off,
Gals.
Mayor Dodge feels very strongly on
the matter as he considers that it is a
matter which directly concerns the
working people, and he feels that they
should not be Systematically robbed by
the bakers any longer" was the way in
which Mr. De Fosse summed up the
reason for the contemplated action in
the matter yesterday.
Another phase of the matter is per
haps a more serious one than the short
ness of weight of the loaves that are
being sold in the city, and It is also one
that the officials are not ready to talk
much about as yet. That is that there
are good grounds for suspicion that
much of the bread that is being sold
for pure wheat bread is not such at all,
but is a heavily adulterated article.
The. penalty for the Ndulteration of
bread is a very hei one, consisting
of a fine of several hundred dollars and
Imprisonment for a number Of months.
1t cannot be said surely that there are
bakers in the city who are selling bread
that would bring them under the pro-
visions of this law but it is believed
that there are. and the wares of GER
tain dealers in bread win be subjected
to chemical analysis in the near future
to ascertain if this is the case. If this
should be proven true. there will be
some still more serious charges to be
met by these tradesmen than the mere
fact that they have failed to post a
sign describing their commodities in
their windows.
There is probably more chance to i'm
pose on the public in the sale of bread
than there is in the traffic in any other
staple commodity and the very fact
that there is to be an investigation will
probably result in the betterment of
the bread to be bought in the city's
stores for a short time at any rate,
even if no permanent improvement is
secured