The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-18
Many Do Not Weigh More
 Than 12 Ounces and Some Less
LANE SAYS HE WILL
 INVESTIGATE TODAY
Commissioners Know Nothing of ViO- latiOn of Ordinance Requiring IA s+COnsiderable Agita-
 ton in Regard to Matter

Considerable bread is being sold to the people of Birmingham, the loaves weighing 12 ounces and in some eases less.
 The city ordinance regulating the sale of bread provides that no loaf shall weigh less than IA ounces.
 The city commissioners are in bliss full ignorance of this fact. All three members state they know nothing of it, Judge Lane. in whose department the matter would come, saying last night that his only information in this respect would come through A. J. Hall, inspector of weights and measures.
 Inspector of Weights and Measures Hall has made no report. whatever.
 The under-size loaves have been on the market for sometime. Judge Lane stated last night he would investigate the matter today.
 Much Agitation Recently
 Some few weeks ago the bakers Of the city aroused much agitation over the question as to whether tho size of loaf of bread should be reduced or its price increased.
 The bakers admitted they did not want to take the responsibility of in- creasing the price, so they asked the city commission to repeal the crdi- nance requiring a 14-ounce loaf. The commission did not want 10 talk c the responsibility. so refused to allow a reduction of the 14-ounce loaf tell ing the bakers that if the high price trf . for 14 ounces of bread they must raise | the price.
 Petitions were put in circulation by | the bakers following this action, de- mapding that the commissioners give them relief and then suddenly the | whole matter dropped as suddenly from | public attention as it had apI cared 1 The city ordinance providing for q 14-ounce loaf provides also that each loaf shall be labeled as to it's weight 1 Many of the bread labels now read: Fourteen ounces and not less thar | 12"
 l As a matter of fact, few of the loaves weigh more than 12 ounces. l It appears that the bakers preferred i to run the risk of violating the or | dinance rather than raise the prict | the city commission deny that thes | informed the bakers to go ahead ant | make 12-ounce loaf and they would be undisturbed.
 Bakers Are Reticent
 E. S. Essig of Essiz & Busenlenner last night admitted his loaves .lid no | weigh IA ounces and were marked witt a label saying. Not less tha.l l. | ounces" Other bakers refused to mak, | a statement.
 R. c. Thompson, manager of tn, l Highland bakery of the American Ba. I lSeries-Candy company, talked abou | everything from the European war tt l the time the moon rose but woulc say not 8 word concerning the weight O. a loaf of his bread when interviewed | by a reporter. q have no statement 1 to make at all in regard to the weight | of bread.' was all MT. Thompson would say on the subject.
 There seems to be little dilferenc, | of opinion in regard to the contention 1 that at the present price of wheat ant l flour bakers cannot make a 14-ounc, | loaf of bread to sell at retail Tor cents. Commissioner Weatherly, who's. views were responsible for the com missions refusal to change the II | ounce ordinance, believes, however
 that there should be standard fo
 bread the same as there is standard measure of a quart or pound of an,
 other article of food, the profits O the producer being regulates b,
 changes in price just as prices of sugar potatoes and other commodities chang, from time to time.