New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-02
URGES BREAD BY WEIGHT
University Settlement Worker
Co,nnlends OriscoI! Plan.
SPECIAL BENEFIT TO- POOR
Baking Concerns Representa-
tive Gives His Views IN
Opposition to Scheme.

Whether tie sale of bread by weight Will
result in getting better bread and more Oh
ii for the money is a question that Is beng
discussed eli over the city as a result OF
the announcement of Clement j. Dr1scoil'
Commissioner OF Weights and Measures
that he intends TO enforce the ORDINANCES
which provides that bread shall be sold by
weight
Workers in settlements say that the new
-,,,e will onerate to the benefit OF the poor
t,as-nuch as they will get more bread ano
better bread than they have been se1'ihs
under -he p-esent rule The bakers take q
different view. and say that II they must
mi = certain weight in g, loaf 1t Will mean
that the quality will have TO be reduced as
the price of -four goes up
Charles s. Bernheirner, assistant secre-
,.,- of The University Settlement, No 1S4
Fidridse street. said:
III is very important that people should
know exactly what they are getting for
their money. That applies especially 10
peop]e like those IN TINS neighborhood. who
must count their pennies carefully. for they
have none too much. To them bread is q
most important item in the problem or the
cost Of living for il represents much
greater proportion of their food supply than
II does in more fortunate neighborhoods
For that reason anything that viii allow
them TO systematic their purchases anu
live more economically must prove g bene-
fl.
To my mind il is also important that
the conditions under which the bread Is
made should he investigated, for in that
respect. too. the people OF a neighhorhooo
like this are in the dark They know Meth
e. lust how much they are getting nor how
what they do get Is prepared
H NJ TAYLOR, secretary Of the Shuts
Bread Corlpany which includes also the
Hiloebrand Baking Company, SAID yes'e'-
day that he could not see where any ad-
vantage was 10 be gained for the consumer
by weighing bread
1T is not as If there were a bread trust,
he said. There is no industry in which
there is so much competition in this
Each baker has 10 give the best loaf he can
make or the oaker next door will get the
trade.
We paid s. barrel some years ago for
.7o,,r which nov costs SIS so a barrel We
cannot give a pound of bread for the anie
money nov as we did when we paid less
for the -four We cut down the loaf by a
small margin TO make the difference IN
price.
The difference is so slight as 10 he
hardly noticeable to the consumer. but IL
We had 10 give a full pound instead OF
fifteen and q half ounces We would have 10
add a cent 10 The price, and the consumer
would be vout more money. We could
give the full weight also by substituting
lower grade of -four, which. while pure and
wholesome would be less nutritious but
would still be a pound Of bread The con
sumner would gain nothing whatever by IL
and il would prove quite an embarrass-
y17ent 10 weigh each loaf.
1t might be all right TO tag each loef
with the weight, but then the ordinance
would have to specify when the bread must
weigh e pound 10 the loaf, whether as X
comes out Of the oven or after II mas cooled
of and dried. There is p considerable dit
xerence in weight between the two periods
While We appreciate the good work
Commissioner Driscoll has done generally
in seeing that weights an6 measures are
what they should be, We cannot see that
j. will beenf1t the consumer to have bread
weighed on delivery. We do not sell 80
many ounces or pounds of bread, but a GER
tain loaf for a certain price.