The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-12-10
BAKERS ROW OVER
BREAD ORDINANCE
Many Wrangles and One Near-Fight
Marh Public Hearing - Matter
Taken Under Amusement.


tive bread capacity OF Michigan and
Minnesota wheat, the difference be-
tween IL ounces of bread at cents
and IL ounces at 8 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 on
ordinances, Friday night, tried TO get
some light on the advisability OF
changing the bread ordinance to re-
Quire standard pound-weight loaves.
One friendless loaf OF bread, whose
only offense was that II had been born
in Windsor and weighed pound and
a half, lay upon a desk until 1t 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
he went out of business because the
short weight amendment three years
ago gave the big bakers stranglc-
hold, was told by James Gordon, OF
the Gordon-Pagel Co., that on the
hearing at that time he had confessed
q double system of bread weights, one
for the seeler 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 by former Judge
w. w. Chaplin and A. z. Wood. Judge
Chaplin claimed that the bakers had
rot kept faith with the people, that
when they were permitted to decrease
the size of loavesthree years ago, they
promised to increase them whenever
the price of -four should be reduced.
He quoted wheat prices to show that
flour ought to be much cheaper, but
that the size of loaves had been de-
creased from IA 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 all the Detroit
bakers declared that the Windsor
bread was inferior and could not be
sold in Detroit.
James Gordon and William Pagel.
OF the Gordon Pagel Co.: Henry Wag-
ner. Sr., Of the Wagner Baking 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 sliding scale on bread weights
was better than on prices, as 1t could
be more easily adapted to the price of
materials. He said that wages OF
employees had been increased and that
the prices OF all kinds Of materials
had gone up, making il impossible to
wholesale a 16-ounce loaf so that II
could be retailed for less than 6 cents.
He said that in Windsor where a
pound and half loaf law IS In effect,
the law is evaded by cutting loaves
in two and coming in under an eight
ounce provision.
Gordon said that any temporary
drop in the price OF wheat would not
benefit the bakers as they had to buy
their flour SO far ahead. In New York
and Chicago, he said the bakers
we're selling IL and 24-ounce loaves.
but that the Detroit bakers were will
ing to give 13 and 26-ounce loaves,
and that II they ever could do so at
a profit, they would increase to IA
ounces.
Bert Morton said that his firm was
able to sell its bread in Walkerville
because 1t was 30 far superior to the
over-the-river product. that it was
classed as fancy bread.
In the matter of comparative
prices, the aldermen could not gain
much light. Aid. Freiwald finally
moved to lay the 16-ounce resolution
on the table. No one seconded the
motion, and action was deferred for
a week.