Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-25
DECREASE IN SALES
FALLING OFF NOTED BY DEALERS
IN BREAD.
Authorities Decide That Loaves Below
the Standard Weight Cannot
Be Imported.

A marked decrease in the sales of bread
at cents a loaf was reported today by
grocers and other dealers in all sections of
Washington. Some families, 1t is stated,
have scaled down their supply, while many
others have decided to bake their own
bread Some of the large bakers admitted
that there had been a decrease in their
sales, while others declined to make a state
ment about the matter.
I'VE are selling more flour than we did
before the price of bread was advanced"
said w. A. Young, grocer, at ~ and G
streets southwest, land sales of bread
have fallen off fully 20 per cent since the
6-cent loaf came in vogue. Many people in
this neighborhood declare they will bake
their own bread rather than pay the add
vanced price, and they are doing So
A grocer on 18th street northeast said his
bread sales had fallen off over 10 per cent;
another In West Washington gave the de-
crease in his sales as about 10 per cent"
while several dealers in the southeast sec
ton gave estimates of decrease in bread
slles ranging from to 20 per cent.
A representative of the Corby bakery
stated his opposition to the continued agi-
tation of the bread question by the news
papers, and said the bakers are just IN
their position. He says they did not adj
vance the price of bread until that step be-
came necessary, owing to the high price of
-four.
I'VE waited until the last moment before
we took the STEP" he added. land we don't
want to be placed in the light of being au-
tocrats. The advance in the price Of bread
was business necessity"
Importations of Bread.
A representative of another large bakery
was asked about the proposition made by
certain dealers to have scent loaves of
bread shipped to this city from Baltimore,
n ha
other buyers of bread He said:
Most of the Baltimore bakers who sell
scent bread are enabled to do so because
their loaves weigh less than those we sup
ply. that Is, less than one pound. Here we
are compelled to furnish the public with
loaves weighing one pound each. We en-
ploy only the best materials and the high
est priced skilled labor. Five-cent bread
could be made in Washington under the
same conditions that exist in Baltimore,
where 1 understand, there is no standard
weight per loaf fixed by law
In this connection the District sealer of
weights and measures stated today to
Star reporter that Baltimore lightweight
bread cannot be sold in Washington The
law is plain. 1t states in effect that loaves
weighing less than pound shall not be
sold here, regardless of where the bread
is baked. thus making the law general in
it's application
Several amusing incidents occurred today
i'll connection with the serious problem to
the poor which is presented by the advance
in the price of one of life'S greatest neceS-
stiles. tramp who ekes out an existence
by begging from door-to-door, said. since
yesterday morning. he had noticed that
some of his regulars had cut down the
size of their former Handouts" while
others had turned him away empty handed.
IF this thing continues he said to a
mission worker. cit looks though fell
lers would have to go to work or else join
the 'yeggy' class.
1t may be explained that in the language
of the turnpike and "side-door Pullmans,
the term 'by the yeggy' means a tramp
who begs only when he cannot steal. The
"yeggs" are therefore regarded as petty
thieves in the hobo family.
Two Sides to the Question.
A printer in the government printing
office this morning passed around among
his friends a card bearing on one side the
inscription:
do you buy bread?"
On the reverse of the card is this:
No: l bake it"
1t has been estimated that it takes about
10000 loaves of bread a day to supply the
city and that the increase of l cent loaf
will mean at least $43S, coo year.
In a statement sent out by the Boston
Baking Company. William Berens & Sons,
Robert w. Blair, Corby Brothers, Havenner
Baking Company, F. Stohlman, Schneider
Baking Company, NJ. HolZbierlien, George
S. Krafft's Sons and John G. Weinberg it
is said: 1--WE are serving in this city full
weight bread of a quality rarely approached
in other cities; 1t is made by mechanics
who are paid better wages than is paid in
any other large city in the world it is de-
livered by gentlemanly drivers on our wag-
ons, who are better paid than similar posi-
tons elsewhere.
Lunch-room keepers regard the advance
in the price of bread as a serious matter to
them. Some of them state that their losses,
as result, will be from 81. 30 to 3d. day.