La Junta tribune., 1907-06-29
AN AssIze OF BREAD
Mobiles Regulation Of Bakeries Early
-. lin the L ast Century. Ia

- 'fi-.'ain the Last Century. IL
II the latter half OF the seventeenth
aad tho early part OF the eighteenth
centuries the regulation of the price OF
bread 10y public authority was famil-
lar principle in the English colonies of
America. In New Haven. for instance.
the weight OF the penny loaf was reSu-
lated by law about 16GO, and In 1896
the Massachusetts general court also
provided regular assize. fixing the
weight OF the loaf according to the
price OF -four. At various times dur
Ing the first quarter Of the eighteenth
century the selectmen Of Boston like
wise performed this duty.
II Is Interesting. however. to note
survival or perhaps revival of this
principle as late rs the nineteenth cen
tury In the town OF Mobile. place
whose economic history is marked by
many peculiar features. After fifty
two years OF French. seventeen years
OF English aud thirty-three years OF
Spanish rule Mobile came under the
control of the United States govern
ment In April. 1919. and was included
in the Mississippi territory. On Jan.
20. 1914. by an act of the territorial
legislature the town received charter
OF Incorporation. and at two meetings
of the inhabitants, on March IL aud
II. the municipal government was or
ganizcd and the charter publicly read
in English and in French. The popula
ton at this time was composed OF
n ;a1. "A I,.Sa al M
On April I followi. < three weeks after
the organization of the municipal gov
ernment. tariff for bakers" or as
size OF bread. was drawn up by the
commissioners (the governing body of
the town and proclaimed in English
and in French This fixed the weight
OF the loaf for the ensuing month In
accordance with the price OF Hour. In
stead of changing the price OF bread
Il was more convenient to make the
loaves lighter or heavier as the price OF
tiour rose or fell. On May =. 1914. the
weight OF the bit loaf uhe bit being II
coiu worth f2is cents was fixed at
twenty-cisht ounces. and the weight of
the half bit loaf was fixed at fourteen
ounces.
On July 8. 1915. Mr.. Martin. the bak.
er. appeared before the board and paid
the sum Of SO. fine inflicted on him
for having his bread too light. one-lalf
OF which sum was paid to the police
officer. On Jan. ~. 1917. regular
scale OF weights for the bit loaf was
adopted.
Beginning May 3. 1917. the assize OF
bread was proclaimed weekly instead
Of monthly. as before. and this system
was continued for a little more than
two years. /, The records do not show
that the assixe was proclaimed after
1919. but the town continued to exer-
else q control over the business Of bak-
Ing. Every baker was required to
procure Q license and to register bis
tfaAenark. which was stamped on his
leaves. A pablic bakshouse was also
sssabsishsA and sssms 70 have. bsen
nsnaesd IN ths vams way thai. munich
patitiss control public marksts. ths
bakers renting the stalls from the town
and being subject to inspectiou, A.
late as 1925 in the annual statement Of
the city clerk the following entry oc.
ours in the statement Of receipts dur
ing tho year: "Sales OF condemned
bread. 1l.87."-Quartsriy Journal oe
Economics.