Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-22
sons today who are reviewing the condi-


tons.
Is 1t really necessary to make the price
cents next week under these observa-
tons? This is the other and more vital
question to the consumer who chats over
the proposition today.
Controversy Over Price.
The history of the bread controversy in
the District Is known to have begun as
early as the year 1894. 1t was then that.
owing to the remarkably low prices Of
wheat and -four, The Evening Star began
and carried to success a crusade against
the high price of bread. 1t had forcibly
struck many people as being very curious
that the price of bread had remained the
same in Washington when the wholesale
price of flour had been steadily falling for
three years. and had reached in October.
1894. the lowest figure in the history in
trade.
In that month The Star undertook an in
vestigatiOn on account of the numerous
complaints regarding the continued high
price of bread 1t sold at wholesale for 4
cents a loaf and retailed at cents for the
standard quality. Investigation showed
that while the price of flour had declined
in three years from about So per barrel to
49, 80 there had never been reduction in
the price of bread.
All the bakers gave the same reason for
not reducing the price; namely, that the
wages OF workmen were SO high, having
they could not afford to cut the prices.
They also claimed that they were not max
Ing any more profits by reason of the de-
cline of flour. but that the difference went
into the pockets of the workingmen on
account of increased wages.
Meeting of Bakers Exchange.
Owing to The Stars publication of the
above facts a meeting of the bakers ex-
change was held, attended by representa-
tives Of Charles Schneider, Havenner &
Co., William Stohman, George Klinke,
Berens & Co., Kraft Brothers, Robert Blair,
the Boston Bakery, William Weinberg.
John B. Ruth, H. Schulze and Carl Hoff-
mann. At this meeting it was decided to
bake a loaf of bread which was to be sold
to the retail dealers for cents and fur
nished to the citizens for 4 cents. to be
made of the best flour. but it was not to
contain any milk. lard or sugar ingredi-
ents, which the bakers claimed made the
bread sold in Washington of quality sur
passing that sold in other cities.
When this action became known PUBIC
dissatisfaction became more intense, be-
cause it was evident that the reduction
proposed was not so much in the line OF
satisfying popular demands for cheaper
bread as it was to protect themselves
against smaller bakers and squeeze the
latter out of business.
Plea of the Bakers.
The public demand for a good loaf Of
bread at a reduced price continued, es-
pecially when The Star showed that in
1892, when flour at wholesale was So per
barrel, the price of bread to consumers
was cents. while in 1894, when the whole
sale price of flour was 3d. 80 per barrel. the
price of bread to consumers was still 5
cents per loaf
Then the bakers put forth the plea and
stuck to 1t that the price of wheat and the
1Our
price of bread; that it was a question Of
the wages they had to pay for the journey
men bakers employed in the manufacture
of bread Indeed, it became evident that
if the bakers arguments We're correct they
could not afford to reduce the price of
bread even if the flour was given to them.
Before the month of October had passed
the public had become thoroughly aroused
to a sense of the imposition thrust them
and the bakers sensibly concluded that 1t
would be wise to accede to such a popular
demand, and one by one they reduced the
price, UNTIL on the evening of Octooer o.
at ar informal meeting of the ooss bakers
it was decided to reduce the price of bread
to cents a loaf wholesale, making the re-
tail price to consumers cents a loaf.
For about six months the price remained
as stated. Then came a rise in flour and
back went the price of bread to 5 cents a
loaf. retail.
In the Winter of '96.
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 ad-
vantage of the year before when the fuctu-
atoms of the flour market made it pos
sble for the boss bakers to do 1t.
1t was claimed in 1898 that the advance in
the price of flour to Sc per barrel-which
price, 1t was said, was not actually paid
by any baker in Washington for the flour
he put in his bread-required a further in
crease of nearly 20 per cent in the most
necessary article that enters into human
consumption.
The attempt to increase the price to 9
cents at that time was defeated, as stated.
Coincident with the announcement that
the price of bread will be advanced to 6
cents per pound loaf on and after Monday,
it Is stated officially at labor headquarters
that the differences between the boss bak-
ers and the journeymen have been patched
UP, and that all possibilities of a strike or
lockout are past. The contract Of the
Bakers and Confeotioners' Union with the
employing bakers has been Endorsed by the
Central Labor Union, it is announced