The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1907-04-10
THE LAMBERTVILLE RECORD
APRIL 10. 1907.
AN ASSlzE OF BREAD.
Mobiles Regulation Of Bakeries EARLY
In the Last Century.

Mobiles Regulation Of Bakeries EARLY
In the Last Century.
In the latter half Of the seventeenth
aud the early part Of the eighteenth
centuries the regulation Of the price of
bread by public authority was a famll-
lar principle in the English colonies OF
America In New Haven FOR instance.
the weight Of the penny loaf vas regn-
lated by law about 1860, and in 1896
The Massachusetts general court also
provided a regular assize, fixing the
weight Of the loaf according 10 the
price Of flour. At various times dur
ing the first quarter Of the eighteenth
century the seleetmcH of Boston ike
wise performed this duty
II IS interesting. however 10 note
survival or perhaps Il revival Of this
principle as late as the nineteenth ten
fury in the town Of Mobile. a place
whose economic history Is marked by
many peculiar features After nifty
two years Of French. seventeen years
Of English and thirty three years Of
Spanish rule Mobile under the
control Of the United ~ettes govern
ment in April. 1912. AID "a, Included
in The AIississIppi territory On Jan
90, 1911, by an act Of the territorial
legislature the town received a charter
of incorporation, and Mt two meetings
of the inhabitants. on March II and
Ii, the municipal government Was or
ganized and the charter publicly read
in English and In French The popula=
ton Mt this time was composed Of
French, English and Irish elements
On April following. three weeks after
the organization Of the municipal gov
eminent. tariff for bakers, or as
size Of bread, was drawn up by the
commissioners 4he 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 flour In
stead Of changing the price of bread
1t was more convenient 10 make the
loaYcs lighter or heavier as the price of
flour rose or fell On May ., 1914, the
weight of the bit loaf tthc bit being II
coin worth l2la cents was fixed ut
twenty eight ounces, aud the weight Of
the half bit loaf was fixed ut fourteen
ounces
On July g, 1910, Mr. Martin the bak-
err appeared before the board and paid
the sum of $40, II fine Inflicted on him
for having his bread too light, one half
of which sum was paid TO the police
officer. ON Jan. u, 1877, II regular
scale of weights for the bit loaf was
adopted
BEGINNING May }, 1917, the assize OF
bread was proclaimed weekly instead
Of monthly. as before, and this system
was continued for Il little more than
two years Tho records do not show
that the asslzc WIS proclaimed after
1919, but the town continued TO exer-
Ing Every baker WAS required 10
procure Il license and 10 register his
trademark, which was stamped on his
loayes \ public bakehouse was also
established md seems TO have been
managed In the same way that munich
palties control public markets, the
bakers renting the stalls from the town
and being subject to inspection. Az
late rs is26 IN the annual statement of
the city clerk the following entry oc-
ours In the statement of receipts dur
ing the year. Sales of condemned
bread Quarterly journal of
Economics