Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-24
MEAL As SUBSTITUTE
Poorer Glasses Reducing
Wheat Bread Consumption.
NO RELIEF IN SIGHT
THE ADVANCE IN PRICE IN Eff
Feet TODAY.
Dealers Unable to Accurately Note
Diminution in Sales Until
Reports Come In.

six cents a loaf for bread: no relief In
sight, and icy winter approaching.
That was the situation outlined today
in a nutshell by local bread consumer,
and conceded by bakers and grocers with
whom a Star reporter talked The buyers
are grumbling. and SO the sellers, as
many of the latter report decided falling
off in their sales of the staff of life" this
forenoon.
Bread was cents loaf in the retail gro
Gerry and provision stores this morning, as
it was stated it would be last Friday.
One effect of the advance in price of
cent on loaf, thus far noted, is that
consumers are buying more flour for use
at home than they have bought for some
time before.
Elphonzo Youngs. whose grocery store is
located on 9th street between d and +
streets. said today that he sold more flour
the latter part of last week to the retail
trade than he had sold in the past two
months. 1t is Mr.. Young's opinion that
bread can be baked to sell at a profit at D
cents retail
Crocer's View.
Mr. Young was told that local flour
dealer who sells to local bakers had said
the price of -four was 81 above that of six
months ago. On hearing this Mr. Young
opened the drawer of his desk and took out
several packages of postal cards. CHANGING
over one package. he said:
"Washburn. Crosby & Co., Minneapolis,
quote price of barrel of high-grade flour
for this month at 81. Same flour in Janu-
airy he quotes at ST. You see the increase
is a dollar.
And" he continued. Il will be surprised
if the condition is found to be permanent
one | believe ii is a result of specializing
to a great extent" From other packages
| of postals he quoted prices showing a gen.
eral increase of Il dollar.
Mr. Young was asked as to the effect OF
the advance of the price. 1T is early TO
tell that" he answered, but it may be IN
teresting to know that the latter part OF
last week l sold more flour to bread con-
sumers than | have sold them In the last
two months. People who have been in the
ha bit of buying sacks bought barrels" That
looks as if people were going to bake their
own bread now.
bread to the barrel of flour, which Is the
number given by boss baker not long
ago, it appears to many that dollar IN
crease in the price of flour per Darrel,
would mean only $.003S of increase on a
loaf If labor and other ingredients, which
enter to slight extent into the making
of bread are not influencing the price,
as the silence of the bakers would make
apparent is an increase of cent .oat
justifiable? This continues to be the ques-
ton of the consumer.
Reasons for the Advance.
The bakers of the city who have made
the advance in the price of the staff of life,
however, express a desire to let the public
know their arguments in favor of the in
crease. a prominent man in the business
this morning said that it cost at least Sill 6
to bake a barrel of flour into the kind of
bread which Westinghouse are used to
eating. At the former wholesale price TO
the groceries of 1 cents loaf, he said, ne
would get for this bread only S1040, as the
number of loaves to the barrel is 260 AT
the former retail price of > cents per loaf,
or wholesale price of cents, 1t was there
fore shown by this baker that there would
be loss of 80 on a barrel.
The increase to , cents wholesale or u
cents retail is absolutely necessary, 1t Is
asserted. Any lower price would be cut
ting to the quick according to bakers
statement
One baker called attention today to what
he said was a "well-known fact" namely,
that Washington's merchant-made bread Is
as fine there is in the country. The law,
he said requires that the weight of the loaf,
not the size, be kept up TO a standard.
This is said to necessitate the increase IN
price when flour goes up. AT doliar a
barrel increase in the price of flour, he
claimed, the advance would be necessary,
hut the increase is more than dollar a
barrel as stated by bakers.
MANY persons have called attention TO the
fact that there are small bakers mere VINO
sell bread at 3 cents and cents Ioa1'
who will probably now sell 1t Tor cents
and ) cents. The large merchant BAKERS
who supply the grocery stores are anxious
to make plain, and therefore declare ma
| their bread is far superior to the lower
priced article. The can cut down the quail
| ity. they say. but they prefer to ralse the
price. They think the public would prefer
this also. r. 1T,
ion as to the advance in the price of flour.
Some say it has gone up 81 per parrel since
February last while others say IL mas
only advanced 81 In the race OF inns oi Io
ference, however, the merchant bakers are
firm in their decision to keep the price al
6 cents and to defend their action
Grave Matter to Many.
The advance in the price of bread, while
it does not seriously affect those whose
incomes are ample. has become grave
matter to those of 1.-The other half" in
whose menus bread forms the most I'M
portant item Therefore, when the order
went into effect this morning increasing
the price of the staple to u cents from
cents a loaf IL became necessary In many
instances for poor families TO decrease
the number of loaveS ordered for consump-
| ton. go
One case of this kind will serve to Illus
| trate many similar ones In South Wash
! ington the family of a laborer had been
| in the habit of taking from a nearby grocer
! five loaves of bread each morning to sup
| ply the father. mother and five children
| for the day. When the bread winner called
at the store this morning he purchased
| four loayes only with the remark
| II know these loaves will scarcely be
| enough for my family. but l cannot take
| any more and my wife will have to cut
| down the rations. that's all. My pay Is
| 81 % a day. and l have to lose all rainy
! and stormy days. l have calculated closely
| as to how much can be allowed for each
| item of my household expenses. and We
| cannot possibly spare more than p cents a
| day for bread. Formerly / could get five
| loaves for that amount. Now l pay ?
| cents for four loaves. The price of breac
| has been advanced, but my wages remain
! at the same old figure. / don't know wha
| we will do when il SHOWS and storms this
| winter.
Institutes Comparison.