Evening star., 1898-04-30
OF: BREAD
Public Antagonisms to the Proposed
Increase by Bakers.
SOME INTERESTING HISTORY
The FaIIacy Of the Present Argu-
ments for an Advance Shown.
NO INCREASE AT PRESENT

The announcement in The Evening Star
yesterday that the bakers of Washington
were contemplating an increase in the
wholesale price of bread of 1 cent loaf
to retailers. thereby making it necessary
for corresponding advance in the price
to consumers who now pay cents a loaf,
and increasing thereby the retail cost to g
cents, has caused very general and pro-
nounced criticism. The proposed increase
in the cost of the staff of life Is regarded
by those familiar with the facts as some
thing very much in the nature of an impo-
sition. A prominent local baker in con-
versation with Star reporter yesterday
stated that flour was higher than it had
been for twenty years, and that the best
Minnesota grades were from $6.23 to $500
per barrel. He did not state, however that
bakers paid such prices per barrel, and 1t
reed hardly be stated that they do not. A
review of the rise and fall in the prices OF
bread in the District of Columbia and the
causes which lead thereto will prove inter-
esting at this time
An Instructive Review.
In the year 1894. owing to the remarka-
hly low price of wheat and flour The Even
ing Star began and carried to success
crusade against the high price of bread in
the District. 1t had forcibly struck many
people as being very curious that the price
of bread had remained the same In WASH
ington when the wholesale price Of flour
had been steadily falling for three years.
and had reached in October, 1894, the low
est figure in the history of trade.
In that month The Star undertook an IN
vestigation on account Of the numerous
complaints which were brought to this Of
fee regarding the continued high price of
bread. 1t sold at wholesale for cents
loaf and at retail at cents for the stan
Gard quality. Investigation showed that
while the Price of -four had declined in
three years from about So per barrel to
$50 that there had never been reduction
in the price of bl cad. All the bakers gave
the same reason for not reducing the price
of bread. namely, that the wages of work
men were so high. having constantly gone
up in recent years, that they could not af-
ford to cut the Price. They also claimed
that they were not making any more
profits by the reason of the decline OIL
flour, but that the difference went into the
pockets of the workingmen on account OF
increased wages.
First Eject OF the Crusade.
Owing to The Stars publication of the
above facts, meeting of the bakers ex-
change was held Attended by representa-
tives of Charles Schneider, Havenuer &
Co., George klinke, Berens and Co., Will
lam stoh'man, Kraft Bros Robert Blair,
John b Ruth, H.msehplze and Carl Hoff,
mann. At this msftinag it was decided to
to, the retail dealars for 3 cents and fur
nished to the citizens for cents, tonbe
made of the hest nouf but it was not to
sona1 Mb any tba bts saea SE snga maas 1sr1d he
bread sold in WaAhington of quality sur
passing that sold'1in other cities. When
this action became known public dissatis-
,,,ta, hoo
was evident that ,theJ reduction propose.
vas not SO much In the line of satisfying
pr pular demands for cheaper bread as 1t
to protect themselves against smaller
bakers and squeeze the latter out OF bus
mess.
Indisputable Facts.
The public demand for a good loaf OF
bread at a reduced price continued, 'espe-
cially when The Star showed that in 1892,
when flour at wholesale was Sc per barrel
the price of bread to consumers was
cents, while in 1894, when the wholesale
price of flour was $3.50 per barrel, the
price Of bread to consumers was still 3
cents. Then the bakers put forth the re-
n1arkable plea and stuck to it that the
price of wheat and the price of -four had
nothing to do with the price of bread: that
it was question of the wages they had to
pay for the journeymen bakers employed in
the manufacture Of bread. Indeed, it be-
came evident that If the bakers arguments
were correct they could not afford to re-
duce the price of bread even if the flour
was given to them.
Boss Bakers Make a Reduction.
Before the month of October had passed
the public had become SO thoroughly arous-
ed to a proper sense of the imposition
thrust upon them that the bakers sensbiy
concluded that it would be wise to accede
to such popular demand, and one by one
they reduced the price, until on the evening
of October %, at an informal meeting of
the boss bakers. it was decided to reduce
the price of bread to cents loaf whole
sale. making the retail price to consumers
cents a loaf.
For about six months the price of bread
remained stated. Then came a rise in
the price of flour and back went the price
of bread to 5 cents a loaf retail.
The Notification of Advance.
During the winter of 1896 wheat and flour
went back to their former low prices. but
there was no reduction of the advance OF
% per cent, which had been quickly taken
advantage of the year before when the
fluctuations of the -four market made it
possible for the boss bakers to do it, It is
now claimed that the advanced Price of
flour to So per barrel-which it is needless
to say, is not paid by any baker In Wash
ington for the flour he puts in his bread,
requires further increase of nearly 20 per
cent IN the most necessary article that en-
ters into human consumption. A notifica-
ton was received early this week by the
customers of the bakers connected if is
said, with the bakers exchange, that the
prices of both rye and wheat bread would
be increased May l ons cent per loaf.
Will Demand Higher Wages.
One thing that can be regarded as certain
is that if the baksrs increase the price of
bread the journeymen bakers will demand
an increase of waggs. There will be a meet
ing of the JourneYmsn Bakers Union to-
morrow afternoonsf at which the whole
question will be discussed. At the present