The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-04-16

prietors Of hundreds of others declare
that they cannot continue selling at
five cents much longer, with bread
flour OF the better grades costing
from 81 to 1920 a barrel, against
$3.50 and $3.50 few days ago. They
add moreover, that with flour per-
manently up to the rates recently
quoted, even six cents would not give
them any sort of profit.
While no concerted action in the
matter of raising bread prices has
yet been taken, developments along
this line are expected at the next
meeting Of the East Side Master Bak-
ers' association. This organization
comprises about 400 proprietors of
= Ae smaller bakeries, twenty-five of
shom have, It Is stated, given up
business since the big rise in wheat
began. Their secretary, d. H. Brayer,
declared today, that present condi-
tions in the flour market meant either
a cut in the weight of each loaf or
else an increase in the price per loaf.
Working forces have been cut down
already In east side bakeries, Secre-
tary Brayer said, in the effort of
proprietors to meet the loss of pro-
fits from the increased price of flour.
The tendency, anyway, for a long
time, Mr. Brayer added, has been to
increase the price and reduce the
weight of the loaf. You could buy
twenty ounce loaf of bread on the
east side eight months ago for four
cents" he declared, "and now a ten
ounce loaf costs at least five cents.
1t is safe to say that the price of
bread and rolls has practically doubl-
ed. Fifteen hundred bakers have been
thrown out Of work by the necessity
of retrenchment to meet expenses and
1000 others in various parts of the
city are now without regular employ
ment. the majority with none at all. }"
The influence of the rise in wheat
on the flour market is feared by all
bakers, large and small and many of
them do not hesitate to predict a ris-
ing scale of flour prices between now
and June in any event. Seven cent
bread, either through out and out ad-
vance In price or an equivalent
shrinkage in the loaf seems newt
able.
Cincinnati, April 16-Returning
from the convention of Master Bak-
. VI AAAAdAoS 1lClu al 1CIic I1dul0,
Simon Hubig Of this city. president
of the National Association of Master
Bakers. today busted himself with
sending letters to Ohio members of
congress. asking for the passage of
legislation to forbid the cornering of
wheat. The letter follows:
"The executive committee of the
National Association of Master Bak-
ers respectfully calls your attention
to the nefarious practice of wheat
gambling at Chicago. We believe
this should be stopped at once and
prohibited in the future. Flour be-
ing the one absolute necessity to keep
the body and soul together, we deem
it crime against the rights of the
people to permit wheat gambling. We
respectfully, but firmly, demand of
vou, as our representatives, to fur
t7ler and protect our rights in the fu-
ture against speculation. manipula-
ton or gambling in wheat"
Kansas City. Mo-, April 16-"A
smaller loaf of bread or a dime for
the present size." This is the
declaration of the Consumer Bread
company and organization of bakers
formed here several months ago and
including practically all of the bak-
ers of Kansas City. B. Howard
Smith, president Of the company. said
this afternoon that the wholesale
price of standard -four had risen for
ty cents a hundred pounds in thirty
days. When the bread organization
was formed, the loaf was cut from
twenty and one half to sixteen ounces.
Nothing has yet been done," said Mr..
Smith. "but some action will have to
be taken with the price of flour where
it is. We will either have to make
ten cent loaf of bread or the size
of the loaf will have to be still fur
ther reduced"