The Washington herald., 1913-06-22
STANDARD LOAF
EXPECTED Soon
Measure Now Pending in
: Congress Expected to Be
Effective Soon.
NO LAW AT PRESENT
Col. Haskell, Superintendent Of
Weights and Measures, Explains
Conditions Here.
NO LAW AT PRESENT

/ Standardization OF the size OF loaf
bread In all probability will follow close
upon the heels Of the enactment of the
bill now before Congress providing for
the compulsory wrapping Of the article.
Col. W. C.. Haskell, Superintendent of
Weights and Measures of the District,
announced yesterday afternoon that a
measure is now being prepared for in
PRODUCTION in Congress providing that all
loayes of bread sold in the District shall
weigh sixteen ounces. Col. Haskell said
the bill will be brought before the next
session of Congress and will be pushed
vigorously by his office and the District
Commissioners.
At present there is no law regulating
the size OF the loaf. For several years
Col. Haskell has been urging Standard
zation. but action in the matter has been
delayed because of the question Of the
validity Of such legislation. The prob
lem has now been settled. several Of the
tribunals, including the United States
Supreme Court. holding that regulations
providing for Standardization are entire
ly valid This removes all difficulties.
and the path to victory promises to be
Ia smooth one. The Standardization
measure would be introduced in the
present Congress but for the lateness of
the hour and the fear that District
Legislation will receive but little atten-
ton during the few weeks left for bust
ness.
The size of the loaves now sold in the
District vary considerably. but most OF
them weigh fourteen ounces. One bakery
Is placing on the market bread weighing
fifteen ounces. Col Haskell stated that
he did not believe the compulsory wrap
ping Of bread would result in the reduc-
ton in the size of the loaf as a means
Of compromising for the cost of meas
ing the product
No Reason for Decrease.
IT see not the slightest reason for de-
creasing the size OF the loaf" he said.
The cost Of the wrapping process would
be almost Insignificant and would impose
no serious burden upon the bakers
am surprised to hear that the wrapped
bread loaves OF some of the bakers now
turning the sanitary product out have
been decreased in size. have not no.
ticed this, and somewhat question the
fact But il such is actually the case.
the people at the present time have no
redress other than to reject the wrapped
article and ask for the insanitary kind
THE wrapping OF the bread is an ad-
mirab BILE idea. and one that has been ad-
vocated by this office for several years.
The bread is protected from dust and
germs and the spreading OF contagious
diseases is thus avoided. Precautions,
however. should be taken in the prepara-
ton of the bread. Selections should be
made of wrapping paper that will in no
wise injure the bread; for instance,
paraphine paper should not be used.
Then. the bread should not be wrapped
too tightly: there should be plenty OF
air space in the cover. or the bread is
likely TO become modify before long. The
bread now placed on the market in WASH
ington is wrapped admirably. and the
only regret is that the entire output is
not incased.
Greater sentiment with respect to the
wrapping process should be stirred up.
The Washington Herald is to be COM
mended for the part it has taken in the
campaign. But II takes more than
newspaper to force the bakeries of the
city to turn out wrapped bread exclusive
ly. Customers should insist on having
the wrapped article"
Although the office of the sealer of
weights and measures has not noticed
any reduction in the size of the loaves
of wrapped bread tested by its inspectors,
many complaints have come to The Her
aid to the effect that the loaves arc
smaller. representative of the paper
made an investigation of the matter.
purchasing loaves Of the wrapped and
unwrapped bread placed on the market
by the various dealers. Careful tests
revealed the fact that the wrapped bread
turned out by one of the local bakers
weighed two ounces less than his I'M
wrapped product.