New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-25
Report, at Hearing, Says
Some Firms Want TO
Avoid Inquiry.
WITNESS MAY FACE
CHARGE OF PERJURY
Iasher's Loss of Memory To BE
Laid Before ProSecutor-Ward
to Give Dough Sample.

beginning TO run 70 cover on 'he SIX
cent bread proposition and get back &c
the old price Of FIVE cents.
The rumor has been in the air for
several days az the investigation OF the
Attorney General into the causes OF
,b. advance in price. Yesterday there
va, a definite report that the Schults
Baking Company. one Of the largest
bread making firms in the city, had de-
cided 70 clip of the extra penny.
The report came TO Commissioners
HartigAn Of the Bureau Of Weights and
Measures. who said that some Of his
Investigators had been told by Shuts
customers that the drivers of that com
psny informed them the price was soon
10 20 back 70 four cents wholesale
which would mean the five cent LOAF
for the ultimate consumer.
officials Of the Shuts company made
no positive denial Of the report last
night Alfred Romer, vice-president OF
the company, said that he "had not
heard" Of any such plan at present, but
in.imated that it might be a future
possibility.
Some May Fear the Light.
There are good reasons TO support
the retreat" Of the big bakers. In the
first place, the Attorney General has
been hard after the large firms, and in
vestigations are being focused upon
them from all sides.
A point has been reached where the
impression prevails that some OF them
have been resorting TO methods IN
business. as we'll as practices in manu-
featuring bread, which they would not
care TO have disclosed II was sug-
gested that they might hope to fore
stslI further attack by returning TO the
cid conditions which prevailed prior to
the raising Of prices on February lO'
the primary cause for so many in
vestigations.
In the opinion Of Deputy Attorney
General Becker. who is conducting the
Attorney Generals inquiry, the most
significant point brought out in the
testimony at yesterdays hearing was
that some Of the largest bakers prob
ably still had a supply Of -four on hand
from which they were making bread at
the nresent time which had not cost
them much over IS s'barrel. They had
purchased this supply before the hour
prices began to jump. This would IN
dicate that the advance to Scent
bread was not warranted.
Representatives Of the Shuts com
many. the General Baking Company and
the Ward Baking Company presented
data requested by the Deputy Attorney
General yesterday which, Mr.. Becker
said. would strongly indicate such
situation, at least in respect to some
Of the firms. Other tabulatiOns pre-
,snted seemed TO show fair proft on
the bread prior to the advance.
IL is no state secret in baking circles
that the hundreds of small bakers all
over the city who declined to follow
the lead Of the big fellows in raising
prices have been cutting into the ousi-
ness of the large firms. The small
bakers have taken good advantage oi
the situation 20 increase their trade
and. il is believed, still make proh'
on their wares.
The alleged case of coercion on the
mart OF some Of the statesmen drivers
which developed at the Attorney zen,
erals investigation, TO force the small
dealers TO advance the price, was eiteo
as evidence of the desperate methodS
resorted to TO keep the price up sno
eliminate hazardous competition.
Refused to Give Sample.
Another significant point developed
At Yesterdays hearing was that rep,
resentative Of the State Department OF
Foods and Markets had been refused
sample Of the -four mixture by th'
Ward Baking Company. w. L. Fltzger'
aid, secretary of the department, sent
man on Tuesday to the Ward bakery
with a request for the sample. ht
called Unexpectedly, It was said, anc
was refused the request.
The Department Of Foods and Mar
ketI, as we'll as the Attorney General
is anxious 70 analyze r.ixture usec
by the large bakers because Of th'
rumors that certain adulterations, par
ticularly cornmeal -four, have beer
used in baking bread.
James y. Arthur, secretary OF th'
Ward Baking Company, when asked OF
the witness stand yesterday about tn,
call Of the state department representa-
tive, admitted the circumstance and de
clared that the company was not will
ing 70 furnish samples unless II wa
compelled 20 do so. Mr.. Fitzgerald saiC
samples had been obtained from otheI
large firms.
The sample was finally promised, ant
request BY Mr.. Becker 70 inspect thu
Ward plant was granted. Deputy Al
torney General Becker and Refere,
Nuosbaum intend 20 inspect other larg,
plants.
The state investigators were consid
ersbly surprised yesterday by the re-
markable exhibition of lapse of memory
on the part Of Jefferson Lasher, The
Ward driver, who testified at q hearing
last week that he had been ordered by
officials Of the company 70 insist thai
his customers raise the price OF bread
TO six cents. Lashers' memory was in
a state Of almost total eclipse. HC
couldn't "recsll" or remember" a sin
gle word or Circumstance Of his former
testimony.
Even the suggestion by Mr.. Becker
that his apparent change of front
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