The Washington herald., 1912-02-16
WRAPPED BREAD
CRUSADE SPREADS
Women Of Housskeepsrs' Al
lance Point Out Profit
to Bakers.
LEADERS GIVE VIEWS

Declaring that the present system of
delivering unwrapped bread Is insanitary
and preJudiciaI to health. officials Of
women's clubs in the District yesterday
gave their views on the campaign for a
regulation whereby bakers will be Obliged
TO wrap the loaves before leaving the
bakery. The Housekeepers' Alliance is
actively at work TO bring about this re-
suit, and officials OF the w. c. T. u.
Mothers Club. and Consumers League
say the matter will be brought up at the
next meeting Of those organizations.
II was pointed out that while the
loaves as they come from the oven, are
the best that could be obtained anywhere.
and much superior &c the home product,
after being handled by seven or eight
persons, including delivery men and
grocers. they gather germs and dirt,
which might prove dangerous to health
Menace to Children.
81 am heartily In favor OF the cam
paign that is being waged to have bread
wrapped at the bakery" said Mrs. E. E.
Richardson. president Of tho Mothers
Club. mot only Is unwrapped bread
dangerous to the health of adults. but
II also endangers the health of the chill
dren, OF whose diet It is an important
factor"
The committee on civics and sanitation
OF the Housekeepers' Alliance, of which
Miss Georgia l. Robertson Is chairman
and which numbers among its members
Mrs. Richard Wainwright, Mrs. Harvey
w. Wiley, DR.. Louise Ross, and others,
has for some time been endeavoring to
interest the bakers Of Washington In
the question Of wrapping bread. The
committee has visited the principal
hat L. aNtdf h.
fore the Master Bakers Association.
The committee has reported to the
Housekeepers' Alliance in favor Of the
bakers product as a result Of their In
vestigation, believing It superior to the
homemade loaf in the majority of cases
But II heartily protests against the pres
ent insanitary method Of handling the
bread after II leaves the oven.
The committee recommended that the
way to prevent danger from disease in
eating the bakers product Is TO cause
each loaf to be wrapped in parafin pa
per after II leaves the oven. This wrap
ping cannot be done until about forty
five minutes after the bread is taken
from the oven, TO prevent the bread
fmro sweating. Then. IL wrapped in a
waXed paper. it will be absolutely free
from all contamination
This bread wrapping can now be done
by a machine, which is rented to the
baker. and II is estimated that the wrap
ping Of all sizes Of bread will average
about g a thousand. This extra cost Is
more than offset by the present loss from
stale bread. which would be eliminated
by the new method OF handling.
Crusade Elsewhere.
The committee. upon investigation.
found that in sixteen out OF twenty
Western cities the bread is now being
wrapped, and the statement is made that
the wrapping has proved OF advantage TO
the bakers IN disposing OF their product.
A crusade for wrapped bread has been
vigorously carried on in Indiana, and
New Hampshire has passed a compul-
sorry bread-wrapping law.
These facts were brought out last night
by Mrs. Harvey W. Wiley, an official of
the Consumers League. and a member
OF the Housekeepers' Alliance. Mrs. Wiley
stated that the league will lend its aid
to the alliance in the crusade for wrapped
bread.
Mrs. Henry B. F. MacfarIand. a men,
Der of the board OF directors Of the
Housekeepers' Alliance, declared that the
fight will be prosecuted with renewed
zeal in view OF the publicity which the
matter has received. and expressed con-
hdence In the eventual success Of the
campaign.
Bakers WOuld PROFIT.
The cost would be so small and the |
results so important" said Mrs. Mac |
farland. that 1 can see no reason why |
the bakers should object to wrapping |
their bread. am sure that they would |
lose nothing by It. while they would be
aiding in safeguarding the health OF the /
Mrs. Charles P. Grandheld, treasurer
of the W. c. T. L., asserted yesterday l
that it is probable that organization will l
take the matter up at its March meet
ing. while II is not directly in the line
OF the W. c. T. u" said Mrs. Grandheld.
"our organization Is interested in all
matters which appertain to the public
good, and this certainly does that"