The Washington times., 1915-02-01
Several Neighborhood Bakers
Already Driven Out and
Others Threatened.
COMPANIES NOT TOGETHER
Some, However, Have Decreas.
ed Size of Product and Con-
template More Cuts.

With several Of the neighborhood
bakeries already driven out Of busi-
ness. others threatened with a curtail-
ment Of credit by the mills, and the
wholesale Establishments running short
OF flour. washington is confronted with
an immediate further reduction in the
weight, or an advance in the price. OF
its bread supply.
Tho former sixteen-ounce loaf which
the housewife obtained for 5 cents has
been shrunk by several Of the larger
bakeries to thirteen ounces. and hand
lers Of baking pans say that they have
received orders for pans that will scale
down from fourteen to twelve ounces
per loaf. Thus the bread that is being
put on the market today may vary in
weight at least four punches. depending
simply upon the amount Of flour that
Is stored in the warehouses of the sew
eral bakeries which are supplying the
city. Those plants. or few of them at
least. which are not confronted with
the necessity of making flour purchases
at once. are continuing to turn out a
sixteen-ounce loaf, while the bakeries
with scant supplies Of flour have al
ready reduced the weight of their
product.
No Agreement Made.
The bakers Of this city have not en-
tered into any agreement. as is said
TO have been the case in certain other
cities, to raise prices. or reduce weight
Each bakery. the local men declare.
will be guided in meeting the situation
by the condition obtaining in his own
plant. None can afford to go out and
purchase flour on the present market.
the bakers assert. and turn out full
weight loaves at cents.
Flour Is quoted today from $3.50 to
So per barrel. +. o. b. Washington, to
the bakers Of this city. The fig
ure is said to be for Garlic. lots.
There has been talk Of houseN olders
effecting a saving by returning to
home baked bread, but. according to
tho heads Of Washington mills. the
flour which they are jobbing to the
grocers of the city cannot be retail
ed at a price under $3.50 a barrel.
The fight to maintain prices and
weights has burdened all bakers, and
cut profits to- the bone. but the small
er bakeries have suffered most Sc
verely. While these shops are run
bakeries. in that the proprietor usual
ly works In the shop. they cannot
purchase as closely as can the large
establishments. And SO rapid has
been the rise in wheat prices recent
1.v for Aa
say they have been told to advise a
number of the smaller bakers that
their mills will not fill further orders
to them. and advise a suspension Of
business until the market eases off.
Wholesale Bakers Hit.
Wholesale bakers are in scarcely
less distress. These bakeries receive
I cents a loaf. With flour at its pres
ent prices. they declare. not only is
profit wiped out, but 1t is merely a
question of time how long each bak-
cry can hold out II it Is called upon to
purchase flour.
The public does not realize the over
head charges. and the losses of busi-
ness. the wholesalers say. Whereas
in many cities deliveries are made
only once day to grocers and res
taurants. the Washington baker
pionts out that he must deliver three
or four times day. This is a heavy
overhead charge. But, In addition, the
bakers call attention to the fact that
they are required on each delivery to
replace with fresh loaves, the bread
that the grocer has on hand.
Certain Of this bread can be sold,
but much of it is a dead loss.
In New York the bakers admit that
the price of bread must be advanced.
The principal question Of dispute among
the bread bakers of that city is whether
the price shall be established at 6
cents or advanced to 10 cents. The loaf
served in New York is only twelve
ounces. but the members of the Whole
sale Bakers Association and the Master
Bakers Association contend that If the
price of -four continues to advance, as 1t
has within the last week or two, scent
bread will be as impossible as is scent
bread today.
To meet the alarming bread situation,
several Of the women's clubs of New
York have inaugurated a campaign to
encourage housewives to resort to home