Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-17
From Thirty to One Hundred Per
Cent to Be Made on Each Sale.
Law Good, He Says.
COST OF MAKING BREAD.

Col. William c. Haskell sealer of
weights and measures of the District
takes issue with the bakers of Wash
ington who are claiming that they can
not make n profit on "A pound loaf of
bread by selling it for ) cents and who
are endeavoring to defeat the law by
selling loaf of bread for cents that
weighs several ounces under a pound.
For several weeks Col Haskell has
been preparing statistics to show the
exact cost of bread making. Today he
reported to the Commissioners that
bread can be made for less than 81
cents a loaf.
This is an extremely liberal estimate.
1t is based on the use of milk and lard
although many bakers eliminate these
commodities in the production of their
bread. Without milk, he contends, the
production only costs 212 cents a loaf.
Both these statements are liberal, SealeI
Haskell contends. He declares that the
percentage of profit in either caSe-whethel
31a or 2hs cents a loaf-is far above the
average expected by merchants in other
lines. He said if they only made 80 or 3;
per cent profit there would be no grounds
for grumbling.
Mr.. Haskell considers it an outrage anG
a public injustice to pretend that there is
no profit in selling pound loaf for
cents when it is easily established that
there is from 80 to 100 per cent profit.
Col. Haskell's Figures.
Col Haskell was aided in estimating the
cost of bread yone of the big hotels
each day.
His estimate is zased upon the fact
that one barrel of spring wheat flour will
TIL.
loaf with use Of milk and lard is: Barrel
of flour, $685.; milk, $1.4S; salt, IL cents
lard, Is cents, and yeast, 30 cents. Tota
cost of 30 loaves, $40, or 80 cents pei
loaf
The quantities of the commodities USED
in making the 275 loaves are 40 quarts OF
water or milk, 241s pounds of salt, II.
pounds of lard and l quart of yeast. The
amount of flour used for one loaf of bread
is 11.H ounces.
The cost of 275 loaves of bread without
milk, which case is really more common
than the use of it, according to the sealer
follows: One barrel of flour, $3.50; salt
ID cents; lard, 10 cents; yeast, 30 cents
Total cost, 81. or $1,000 cents per loaf.
In estimating on the flour the sealer
says he is liberal in estimating $6.35 a
barrel, in view of the fact that many
kers, in buying large quantities, sue
d in getting their flour at a price less
Ian Sc. Some big bakeries seldom pay
over $50 a barrel. He has used the high
est price in order to be fair and to re-
frain from doing any one an injustice o.
to attempt to misrepresent.
Big Profit in Bread.
He concluded his report by saying that
a bakery sells % the trade. such as retail
dealers, for cents a loaf, which is 3
per cent profit with the use of milk and u
per cent profit without milk.
More than a week ago George Hauf
baker, Sth and NJ street northwest
through his attorney, Alexander Bell
served notice on the sealer of weights
and measures that on the following day
he would bake fifteen loaves of bread
weighing less than one pound, and would
place them on sale at ) cents loaf. He
claimed that on account of the increased
cost of material and labor it is impossible
to bake bread and sell it for cents the
pound loaf
The baker kept his word On the fol-
lowing day when Sealer Haskell visited
his place he found the short weight
loaves in The mans place for sale. A
warrant was procured for his arrest
Later. when arraigned before Judge Null
lowney in Police Court. the case was
continued for another hearing in No
vember.
Sealer Haskell said today he has heard
profit by selling at cents the loaf. None
of them has attempted 20 Sell under
weight-that is, not to his knowledge.
Law Good, He Is Sure.
He has every confidence in the law
holding good in this case, despite con-
tentions to the contrary made by counsel
for Baker Hauf. The law specifically
provides that loaf of bread must weigh
from 16 to IS ounces.
IF the bakers insist that they are max
ing no profit said Sealer Haskell. lit is
I'D to them to increase the price and not
reduce the weight.
Several bakers have intimated that
they can crawl around the law by max
ing a short weight loaf and selling il
without violating the law by labelling the
loaf according to its exact weight. This
is unwise and would be unjust, in view
of the fact that there is a large percent
age of person who would not be able to
read or understand the label on the loaf
and would buy it not knowing they were
paving for short weight
COMING TO BALTIMORE.