El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-08-18
Home Baking Is Doomed
Housewives Find 1t More COnven-
lent and More Economical to
Order Bread Already Baked.
- By rcderic J. HasI<in-
? AsHINGTON, D. C., Aug 1s.-T

wv average housewife IN most parts
of the country is becoming more
interested in her local bakery than in
any other food producing establishment
According to a careful estimate made
last year nearly half the bread used
in the country comes from the bakery
instead of the home kitchen. The bak-
ers would be glad to bake all the bread
and the average woman would be more
than willing 10 have them do so If she
had satisfactory assurance Jhal the
bakery product was as clean, nutritious
and satisfactory as she herself could
bake.
Is More Economical.
Many reasons exist for the preference
being given to bakers bread Inc chiSL
one is economic. It costs practically
three times as much to bake bread at
home as in the bakery The relative
vaule of the fuel alone consumed IN
the baking of small quantity OF bread
for a single family is much greater
than that used to bake the same quaint
ity in the large output OF big pax
cry The woman who lives in town
and bakes bread in gas range can
reckon this even more readily than the
woman who depends upon coal or wood
for fuel. but the fuel actually has 10
be taken into consideration IN most
households. The cost OF Hour ana olher
ingredients when purchased at reIalI
by the housewife is greater than when
purchased in large quantities by the
baker
The baker is often able to make a
better and more wholesome LOAF OF
bread than can be furnished In the
home because his equipment is so much
better. He takes no chances, makes no
guesSes at the relative quantities OF
his ingredients. Everything is weighed
with scientific care and in most baE-
cries the mixing and kneadtng IS now
done by machinery, rendering the pro-
patient hand labor can insure One OF
the greatest drawbacks to the home
baked bread is the uncertainty OF the
average kitchen range. There IS no
means Of accurately gUaging its tenn
Derature. The oven of a bakery IS
equipped with a register Of its temper
ature and a means Of keeping II uni
form during the baking process
Must Look Ont For Dirt.
The modern woman agrees with the
theory that bakers bread ought 20 DO
best for her family providing IL IS
baked under proper conditions Too
often she finds that this is not the
case and she is compelled to organize
a crusade against dirt and unsanitary
comes up to her high ideal Of purity
and wholeSomeness- At first the pax
ers were disposed deeply to resent this
feminine invasion Of their territory.
Much opposition was offered to the flrst
reforms suggested In most towns,
howeve, a different attitude is apparent
The master bakers, through their or
carnations, are recognizing the value
of securing the good win of the women
they desire fc- customers, and feel that
il is worth while to come up TO their
requirements
The Housewives League Of New York
has been giving special attention to the
bakeries of that city since the first
of January and issued special 'Bak-
erS Number" of the magazine Whlcn
they publish monthly as the organ OF
~ TrrTf
ednt Of the league. has appeared before
the board of health of New York sew
eraI times in the interest Of clean bak-
cries and is receiving the hearty CO.
operation of the bakers themselves, who
in most cases are anxious to raise the
standards OF their own calling MIS-
Heath takes the stand that the com
mercfalized home Industries are still
home industries" and urges upon every
member of the league the duty OF being
her own inspector, and Of reporting
upon the conditions Of the bakery from
which her daily bread is served
Visits to Bakeries Urged.
In some towns the bakers are rising
to the occasion by inviting the women
to visit their bakeries In one city
large bakery recently placed placard
in the window reading: Five hundred
dollars reward will be paid to the treas
ury of the Housewives league II any
bakery in this city can be found In a
more sanitary condition than ours
In a western town, one of the large
bakery plants extended aipersonaI in
vitation to the members of leading
women's clubs to inspect their work
and each detail was carefully explained.
While in some towns the work of the
women has brought about almost ideal
conditions in the bakeries much is lett
to be accomplished. Bakeries still eX-
ist in which flies are found in profu-
sion
Demand Homemade Flavor.
In Chicago one Of the members OF
the pure food club was invited to adj
dress the bakers organization and her
remarks have been widely circulated
in trade journals and commented upon
with favor by many master bakers
She summed up the qualities to be de-
sired in the products Of a bakery under
three heads; Good and wholesome
qualities of materials used in the pro-
ducts; cleanliness throughout, includ-
Ing; reasonable cost Another woman
invited to address a bakers organiZa-
ton added to these three requisites
that Of attractive appearance and
flavor. She cited the fact that in some
large bakeries visited where the san
itary conditions were all that could be
desired and the quality of the mater
ials undeniably the best, the flavor Of
the bread was not equal to that pro-
duced in the home oven In order to
crafty the palates Of their families,
the women are demanding that the
bakers give them bread which has the
50 CdllGQ nOUlEuldQe flavor, ana LQdL
the cakes and pies also have the real
taste produced by the home cook This
IS sometimes lost in the bakery by the
large quantity handled and to regain
it is one of the problems presented by
the woman in her demand of the baker.
Women Promote Clean Bakeries.
Miss Alice Lakey, chairman Of the
Pure Food committee of the National
Consumers league, recently issued a
report showing the conditions which
exist in a carelessly operated bakery
and urging the members of the
league throughout the country to CO.
operate with the association Of master
bakers in securing a high standard OF
bakery cleanliness and sanitation. Miss
Lakey states that the indifference Of
the consumer has done much to hinder
the enforcement of the pure food laws
and is endeavoring to arouse an inter
est that will prevent the sanitary
awakening OF the bakers from being
retarded.
The bakers white List" in Massa-
chusetts has grown to so names in a
single year, chiefly through the efforts
of the women Of the state. It is hoped
to multiply this number in the near
future until every bakery in the country
shall feel the influence of the move
ment.
The HOusekeepeTs alliance in sew
tral cities also has undertaken to CO.
operate with the bakers to secure a
better bread e11T0r1z~ In