The Detroit times., 1910-12-10
BAKERS ROW OVER
BREAD ORDINANCE
Many Wrangle and One Near Figat
Marks Public Hearing-Matter
Taken Under Amusement.

In maze of figures as to the rela-
tive bread capacity of Michigan and
Minnesota wheat, the difference be-
tween Is ounces of bread at 5 cents
and 16 ounces at 6 cents, and the eff
feet of the price of wheat on the
price of -four together with hree
hours of arguments and one near-fight,
the common council committee ordi-
nances, Friday night. tried TO get
some light on the ACCESSIBILITY of
changing the bread ordinance TO re-
quire standard pound weight leaves.
One friendless loaf of bread, whose
only offense was that ii had been born
in Windsor and weighed pound and
half lay upon desk until ii was
picked up and slammed around by the
Detroit bakers, and finally rolled to
the floor in the neighborhood OF a
Cuspidor.
Alfred Wolfe, a baker who said thai
Ken went out of business because the
short weight amendment three years
ago. gave the big bakers a strange
hold. was told by James Gordon, Of
the Gordon Pagel Co, that on the
hearing at that time he had confessed
n double system OF bread weights, one
for the seGler of weights and measures
and one for the public. Wolfe called
Gordon a liar, and members of the
committee interfered to keep him from
using violence. In the end, members
Of the committee admitted that they
didn't know where they were at, and
action was deferred for week.
Former AID William Kingsley, who
has been interested in restoring the
old 16-ounce loaf ordinance. headed a
delegation Of members of the North
End Taft club, most Of whom made
arguments. The opening speeches for
the club, were made 10y former Judge
w. w. Chaplin and A. r. Wood. Judge
Chaplin claimed that the bakers had
rot kept faith with the people, that
when they were permitted to decrease
the size of loaVes three years og, they
promised to increase them whenever
the price of flour should be reduced
He quoted wheat prices To show that
Wrought TO be much cheaper, but
that the size of loayes had been de-
creased from IL to Is ounces
The loaf of Windsor bread was eX-
hibited, with the statement that "A
ounces were sold for cents. The loaf
was badly handled. and ali the Detroit
bakers declared that the Windsor
bread was inferior and could not be
sold i'm Detroit.
James Gordon and William Pagel.
of the Gordon-Pagel Co; Henry Wag-
ner, ST.. OF the Wagner Making Co;
Bert Morton. of the Morton Baking
Co, and Frank Newberry. of the New
berry Baking Co, represented the
bakers. Their principal speaker was
Gordon.
The contention OF the bakers was
that a sluiding scale on bread weights
was better than ON prices, as it could
! he more easily adapted TO the price OF
materials lie aid that wages OF
/ employees had been increased and hat
the Prices of all k'hds of materials
| had gone IN. making II impossible "a
wholesale a 1G-ounce LOAF so that ~
/ could be retai.ed for less than cents.
He said that i'm Windsor where n
mound and q half loaf law is i'm effect
! the law is Cvaded hy cutting loa.e8
i'm two and coming iu ugder an eight
ounce provision.
I Gordon said that any temporary
drop I'm the price OF wheat would not
! benefit the bakers, as they had to buy
! their flour so far ahead. I'm New York
and Chicago. he said, the bakers
were selling l. and 2louncc loaves.
hut that the Detroit bakers were Will
ing 10 give Is and 2o-ounce leaves.
and that II they ever could do so az