The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-07-10

SEALED OUTPUT SMALL

Despite the Increasing agitation OF
the public. most OF the bakers now
placing wrapped bread on the market
continue to turn out their sealed
loaves smaller in size than their bare
bread. Many letters are being re-
ceived daily by The Washington Her
aid from persons interested in the
sanitary process complaining OF the
decreased size of the loaves.
There still Is a discrepancy OF q full
ounce and a half between the bare
and the wrapped loaves which are be-
ing baked by one OF the local estab-
lishments. There are many persons
who have signified their intention Of
purchasing the wrapped product
should it be baked in loaves OF the
same weight as the unsealed article,
but they feel they cannot AFFORD to
lose as much as an ounce and half
by the purchase Of the small leaves
now on the market. One bakery.
which has gone to much expense ad-
vertising its wrapped bread, is turn
ing out a sealed loaf that weighs only
twelve ounces and a fraction, which
seems exceedingly light when 1t Is
considered that a bill is now being
drafted providing that all bread shall
weigh sixteen ounces to the loaf.
SC4rCNy
The scarcity Of the wrapped product
also continues. Some of the bakeries
have slightly increased their sealed
output since the beginning OF The Her
AIDS crusade, but others have de-
creased theirs. The bakeries now ham
ding the incased bread are wrapping
an average of only a few hundred
loaves daily, despite the fact that the
people of Washington buy 100000
loaves a day. and that there is con-
stantly increasing demand for the san
itary product.
Some complaints have come to The Her
aid to the effect that the quality OF the
wrapped bread is inferior to that OF the
bare product W. c. Haskell, Superin-
tendent Of Weights. Measures, and Mar
kets of the District, said yesterday ne
was not in a position to give an authori-
tative opinion upon this phase Of the
question, as the work Of inspecting the
quality Of bread had been transferred at
his request about two years ago to the
Of the Health Department.
DR.. William c. Woodward. District
Health Officer. explained that no tests
had been conducted very recently. but
expressed the belief that the bread was
not seriously below the standard.
I'VE tested the quality of the bread
some time ago." he said, but have been
unable to conduct any experiments re-
Gently because Of the press of other bust
ness. The testing of the bread requires
a great deal of work. and we have not
felt that the situation justified the ne
glecting of other work for the purpose
Of investigating the quality Of the bread.
Prosecutions Now Difncult.
Besides, the law that We have at pres
ent is very unsatisfactory, and It Is sol
constructed that it probably would bel
rather difficult to bring about prosecu-
lions under it. The present law specifies
the amount of moisture, ash. and other
substances that shall be permitted in the
bread, and also provides that alum and
other injurious substances shall not be
used. We have had occasion to recon- |
mend only one prosecution SO far. That
was a number of months ago. in the case
Of a lunch room proprietor. who used
alum in the making of biscuits.
II think no injurious ingredients are |
used in the bread now being placed on
the market. but I am not in a position
to state whether the quality of the
wrapped bread is inferior in quality to
hat Of the unsealed kind"