Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-11
WHEAT DROPS BUT
FLOUR RISES


= Continued from Page One
and o'clock there was a great furry
at the Bourse. There could be obtained
! no explanation of the phenomnal drop Of
, 6 cents. But few minutes later there
} was posted an European dispatch of q
rumor that one of the forts at the mouth
of the Dardanelles had been captured
by an italian fleet and that Russia would
soon have an open way to the sea through
which she would be able to market her
huge wheat crop
Within ten minutes wheat in Chicago
began to mount three-fourths and half a
point at time until 1t had reached 1856.
The original drop began at 139 and stepped
at 1884,
Chicago showed the first decline and
was Immediately followed by New York,
Boston and Baltimore. The influence was
sharply felt here and no one knew where
anyone was att for nearly half an hour
The big bakers were silent today re-
agrding their plans and the threatened in
| erase in the cost of bread. The lnvariable
reply to inquiries was that there was
nothing to be said and that when there
was any news 1t would come out of
itself. IT was learned at one of the most
| important bakeries from n semi-official
source that there was a common under
standing among two groups of the big
| hOustS anu IHaI COHCeTIeu aCIlOn WOulu
be made If 1t became necessary to make
the bread prices higher
SIZE OF LOAvES DIFFER.
There is not entire harmony among all
| of the big houses owing largely to the
difference in the size and weight of
loaves There is ose large concern that
| distributes its products to 1900 retail
| grocers. This loaf weighs 21 ounces and
| sells at five cents Many of the competi-
tors of this concern make a 17-ounce loaf
and it sells at the same price.
There are still other bakeries that make
loaves weighing much less than a pound,
and they are five-cent loaves also
But then the housewife gets with each
loaf dainty artistic wrapper and a
piece of tinsel string, not to mention the
fancy name of the bread. These loaves
do not sell in the poor districts and cut
no figure in the problem of higher bread,
but they do figure in maintaining a
sharp line of demarkation between two
classes of large bakeshops.
Grocers in many parts of the city have
been told by flour distributors, they say,
that an Increase In the cost Of loaf bread
surely will come within ten days unless
there is a very marked decline in the
market.
Jewish bakers last week advanced GER
tain kinds of bread cents large loaf.
These prices, they say, will obtain until
the wheat stops skyscraping and the
market returns to normal.
LABOR APPEALS FOR EMBARGO.
Organized labor in this city has gone
on record, at the regular meeting of the
Central Labor Union, as opposing the |
continued exporting of wheat and food
stuffs, and appealing to President Wilson |
to place a nationwide embargo upon
further shipments of grain and -four
abroad.
The action was unanimous at the meet |
ing yesterday. Speeches were made sup |
porting the resolutions by Joseph M. |
Richie, of the Building Trades Council, |
and by g, H. Ulrich, president of the |
Central Labor Union, who presided.
When the speakers explained why the
price OF bread would have to go up, how
the grain supply was being depleted "by
the selfishness of exporters" and prices
jammed up to the top notch by specula-
tors, they were greeted with cries of
We're on. Wen vote for it," Then
the resolution went through.
THE RESOLUTION.
The resolution was introduced following
an editorial in the EVENING LEDGER
pointing out the danger of continuing to
send the wheat of this country abroad.
The resolution follows;
Whereas, The last wheat crop was the
largest in the history of the country,
and promised cheap broad for the work
ing people; and
Whereas, The great war in Europe
has drawn laborers from the field and
decreased the world supply of bread
stuffs and
Whereas, The decrease in the world
supply has increased the demand upon
the United States for wheat and the
demand has been followed by such a
nj aIr.1 /.
an increase made still greater by un-
scrupulous spectators. that unless some
way can be found to stop II bread will
be luxury before the next wheat crop
can be harvested Therefore. be 1t
Resolved, That the Central Labor
Union OF Philadelphia do most urgently
request the President of the United states
10 exercise his undoubted power TO stop
he export OF wheat until normal prices
are restored and then to permit the sale ,
abroad OF only so much as is not needed
Tor home consumption"
The delegates who adopted the resolu-
lion represented, directly and indirectly.
$4,000 persons. The. i28 labor organiza- ,
Ions OF the city represented have a /
of $4,000 Os these 8S. 900 are i
reads OF families. AS there are, on the 4
hve persons IN a family these I
5000 represent 22,OOO. and the 1900 \
bachelor members bring the total to ap- {
oobtvVJ
Adyiees received from Washington state 1
hat 1t is within the power OF the Inter
tate Commerce Commission greatly TO +
iuFtail the exporting of wheat and flour n
" compelling the railroads to abolish the I
linerentials In freight rates on the long I
laul from the wheat belt Of the West TO a
he Atlantic seaboard for export v
These dinerentials range from 8 cents '
hundred weight 10 Boston. down 10 q
8 cents 10 Baltimore. as against the
ates on wheat for domestic uses The
eheduiea are as follows
Domestic. Export. Din
Q Hs@ sSSsst Sort sshia ssi Is eests esa.s