Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-21
WANT MORE FORBRE
Price of a Loaf Advanced to
Six Cents.
ACTION OF BAKERS
INCREASED COST OF FLOUR AL
LEGGED AS CAUSE.
Statements by Leading Bakers In
spectors Enforce Law Against
Short-Weight Dealers.

The price of bread sold by the merchant
bakers of the District of Columbia will be
! advanced one cent on the pound loaf Mon
day next. Cards to this effect. prepared by
| several of the large baking establishments,
have been posted in nearly every grocery
and provision store in the city and vicinity.
The nickel loaf will be known no more
judging from the bakers statements, and
the six-cent loaf will take it's place.
This action by the local bakers which
is positively stated by President HI. B.
Leary of the Merchant Bakers Associa-
ton of the District and by Alexander H.
Bell, attorney for the organization, to have
been decided upon by the large bakers, act
ing individually, and not by vote of the
association, is said to be the direct result
Of an advance in the price of -four. Mr..
Leary, who is member of the Boston Bak-
ing Co., said that the large merchants
have been urged for the past three months
to increase the price of bread, owing to the
increased price of flour.
Same in Other Cities.
The conditions are said to be the same in
other cities. 1t is stated that while in Bal
timore the price of bread has not been ad-
vanced, nevertheless the weight of the loaf
has been greatly decreased, which amounts,
of course, to the same thing. 1t Is declared
that only in cities where there is uniform
weight law for bread, as there is In Wash
ington, is the price of a loaf being ad-
vanced.
B. B. Earnshaw, a -four merchant in
Southeast Washington, said spring wheat
flour, which is said to comprise three
fourths Of that used by District bakers. is
at present costing him, he buys it from
the miller. from s6.15 to $3.50 barrel while
this same flour sold six months ago, under
the same conditions. for from $4.25 to $4.35
per barrel.
Flour is supposed to have advanced in
price as the result of the expectation that
the wheat crop this year will be much
smaller than it has been in previous years,
not only in this country but in many other
wheat-growing countries. 1t is said the
United States will have almost no surplus
to export from the fall crop. Mr.. Leary OF
this city said today that he had letter on
his desk from grower in North Dakota to
the effect that merchants of that state are
purchasing wheat in Canada on account Of
the unfavorable outlook for the home crop.
The bureau OF statistics of the Depart
ment of Agriculture also has estimates of
the probable fall wheat crop in this and
other countries which confirm the fears OF
business men.
Every indication, it is claimed. is that the
price is going steadily upward A local
merchant said he expected to have to pay
as high as eight or ten dollars per barrel
Tor nOur In a rev weeks, DIT WHOloSd1e, ul-
rect from the mill.
District officials Opinion.
An official of the District government, who
has been in close touch with the bakers Of
the city for some time, gave his opinion
that many of the large baking establish
ments had enough flour on hand to last for
some time to come, and that therefore the
increase in the price of bread was not nee
far thew concerned
believed, however that the little bakers are
hard pressed by present conditions. In any
event, he said, the larger establishments
will be the ones to reap the greatest ben
efits from the Increase in the price. Still,
If this is due only to their ability to buy
flour in large quantities. and therefore at
lower rates than smaller bakers, he be-
lieved it would be a perfectly fair profit.
Directly opposite to the statements made
by this official are the views of several
prominent bakers, who stated this after
noon to a Star reporter that the present in
crease is the result of the increase in the
price of flour, operating directly. For some
time, they said, they were able to maintain
the present prices of bread solely because
they had supply of -four on hand but 1t
is because this is now exhausted that they
have to put up prices. Thus they deny the
allegation that they have still large guam
tity on hand.
Advance in Price of Flour.
This increase in the price of flour, as given
by the local bakers is believed by MANY to
have placed the smaller operators at a
great disadvantage. Not having had a sup
ply of flour on hand from which they could
profitably make bread to sell at the present
price. they have been sorely tempted. in
many instances. it is alleged, to unlawfully
reduce the weight of their loaves
Police Officer John T. Newkirk of the
sixth precinct and Second Assistant Leo S.
Schoental OF the office of the sealer Of
weights and measures, who have been
working together during the past few weeks
to discover If possible any violations of
the bread law. have learned of several in
stances of lightweight bread. They report
four cases where small bakers are alleged
to have been selling bread under weight
The case of Louis Sachs, whose shop is To-
Gated at 632 o street northwest, was to
have come up in the Police Court this morn
ing, but on account of the impossibility of
locating the real defendant it was post
poned until tomorrow. A warrant has been
issued for Louis Sachs, who, the inspectors
say, had fifty loaves of bread in his shop
which were altogether six pounds short in
weight. If the defendant is convicted under
the law he will have to pay a fine of 81 for
every under-weight loaf found in his bakery
or shown to have been sold there. Besides,
he will forfeit the unsold loaves.
Quotations From the Law.
The law regulating the sale of bread in
Washington is found in Webb's digest of
the old corporation law Of the city of
Washington. For nearly ten years, accord
ing to reliable authority. 1t was not strictly
enforced, for some reason not revealed, but
in the last month or SO the inspectors have
been at work enforcing its provisions
After providing that all bread sold in the
city shall be pure In every respect, the law
says:
."The loaves of wheaton bread sold in the
city shall be of three distinct sizes or
weights, to wit: The first to weigh not less
than sixteen nor more than eighteen ounces
avoirdupoiS; the second to weigh not less
than thirty-two nor more than thirty-flve
ounces avoirdupois. and the third to weigh
not less than sixty-four nor more than six
ty-eight ounces avoirdupois weight; and
each loaf q. bread shall have legibly
of the bread in fgures-1, 2 and Lthe fig-
ure 1 to be stamped on the loaf of the first
weight, the figure on the second weight
and the figure on the third weight
The law also provides that the same be
done for other kinds Of bread. 1t was
stated today by an officer in authority that
the stamping provision of this law has