New-York tribune., 1909-04-18
MAY MEAN BIGGER
LOAVES OF BREAD
PITTSBURG DOUGH" con-
ING HERE.
RiUalry Likely to Restore Weight
Which PreUGled Before Master Z
Bakers Organised.

Ptttsburg capital may give New Workers. largss
loaves OF bread for a nickel after the present
bulge" in the price OF wheat and -four has SUD
sided. Ths tWenty-ouncs loaf may then again be
the ruia instead Of twelve fourteen. when the
Ward-Mackey Company begins to fight for the
trade OF the greater city.
No one seems able to forecast the policy or rnoss
men who will leave the bank OF the Allegheny River
TO strive for the bread business OF Manhattan The
Bronx. Brooklyn and Queens. Kings Richmond and
Nassau counties. and the trade which SO vaIuabfs
in adjacent New Jersey towns and cities Corpe-
tition may revolutiOnizs the bread baking business
within fifty miles OF the City Hall; or, ths
other hand one huge combination may affect econ
omies and leave the consumer better OF than st
the present time. l,
Time was when every bride baked hot biscuits
and bread as her first fire kindIed- In
years gone by great piles OF sacked -four were IN
evidence in all the grocery stores. Now it Is al
most impossible 10 find modern grocer who
ries more than few pounds OF -four in stock. be-
cause the housewife OF the day IS paying for her
loayes ready made. and not bothering about the
kind that mother used to bake. Since the change
became evident fully million loaves OF bread are
sold daily by the bakers and the grocers within ths
greater city. Single bakeries dispose OF fifty thou
sand Ioaves of bread every tWenty-fOur hours. and
they are awaiting developments 10 see whethsr
they will have to fight for their trade to keep ths
Pittsburgers from skmming of the cream o. It. as
Is threatened
City have felt secure. With strong organization
they have been able TO regulate the size Of the
Ioaves with the COST of raw materials Instead OF
adding an ounce TO the weight OF their
loaves as competition became strong they have
cut about four ounces of the weight which became
established through competition Now this organ
ization may have to fight it out all over again.
LOCAL BAKERS STIRRED UP.
Members OF the Master Bakers Association4oe
the greater city have held numerous conferences
since the announcement was made that George '"
Ward, OF Pfttsburg. had interested capital from
Western Pennsylvania TO erect modern bakeries
within this city compete with the existing fac
tory bread bakeries In this announcement Mr..
Ward asserted that he was ready to spend 5000
600 in purchasing small bakeries at once he haS
said that he will modernize the present plants ana
eventually invest S21 10000 10 gain control OF the
bread business here This stirred the local bakers
10 action Now they are waiting to learn more OF
the plans OF those who would leave Ptttsburs for
greater opportunities on the coast
Ora thing IS certain-the small corner bakery.
which is workshop. storeroom and lodging house
combined seems doomed So does the art OF pax
Ing in the home Women themselves less and
less with the worries OF baking honnernaoe oreao-
some say this Is because OF laztness others inss-
It IS because tiny flats are not adapted TO oeins
used as bakeshops. But the scientific bakers ds-
crsra II is because woman has not mastered the
theories Of fermentation which the baking trads
js founded and must always fail in competition
with the factory baker.
Back a dozen years ago the bakers were selhns
bread loaves which weighed about t"eVe ounces.
Gradually the size OF the Oaves was increased unt
tv-errv ounces OF baked bread was sold for a
nickel The bakers got together and since the
LAST large advance the price OF -four from four
teen 10 sixteen ounces became the regulation
OF a scent loaf of bread The change was Inads
slowly and the public did not notice it. With ali
the bakers working together the public mas NOT
rea1,zsi the diminished size OF the loaf
II has been business policy 10 sen sInAhe'
leaves With -four soaring close to 50 barrel tns
bakers had TO take some step to keep Uhe Deal Llr
= +t, rigbr side of the ledger. Now, the Pitts
burgers NAV upset all the careful plans TO run tne
rakine business on the basis OF cost.
Those who would come here to share N 'ne DUST
ness have been figuring on the great annual CROWN
of the city and the leaning toward bakers 0reso-