The Washington times., 1915-02-25
new YORK MAY GET
5.CENT BREAD AGAIN
Big Bakers Frightened BY
State Probe, and Small
Competitors Fight.

NEW YORK, Feb. .J.-Uniess the
price Of wheat continues to advance ma
terially, New York will probably return
in few days to the old standard
bread prices. Rumors are current that
the big bakeries which recently ad-
vanced the wholesale price OF bread
from to cents, thus forcing. or at
least endeavoring to force, the retail
price to 6 cents. are contemplating again
fixing the wholesale price at 4 cents.
The reasons advanced for the relin-
nuishment of the scheme to force higher
bread prices are two-fold. In the first
place the inquiries inaugurated by the
various legal authorities disturbed the
big bakers.
Small Bakers Fight.
The most potent factor. however. is
said to ave been the fact that many
Of the smaller bakeries throughout the
city, instead of advancing their prices
maintained their old figures and set
forth to fight for the trade that the
larger establishments had formerS3 en-.
Joyed.
ThefHrst report of return to old
prices Nas received by one OF the in
spectors'of J. ]. Hartigan. commission
spector was told by a grocer that a
driver for the Shultz Bread Compans .
had said that his company expected to
abolish the scent wholesale price and
At the States inquiry yesterday
Deputy Attorney General Becker de-
veloped an interesting situation when he
called to the stand George Hoernle, man
plant in the Bronx and Arthur Gibson,
said to be Hoernle's assistant. Hoernle
flatly refused to waive immunity from
criminal prosecution. Mr.: Becker ex-
cused both men. saving that he didn't
care to give immunity.
Mr.. Becker hoped to show by these
men that Jefferson Lasher, the Ward
driver. whose recent testimony that he
had been directed to tell dealers the
price at which they must retail bread.
raised.
Was Excited"
Lasher was on the stand again yester-
day. and declared flatly that he hadn't
said that the drivers were directed to
tell the dealers the retail price When
the testimony was read to him he said
that he must have been excited" and
confused" To other questions his an
swer was Il can't recall"
81 Mr.. Becker had been informed that
l.asher when brought before the dis
mer testimony. AS Lasher was under
oath when he gave the testimony at
the early hearings of the inquiry. Mr..
Becker got into touch with Assistant
recess hour yesterday. and later sent
l4m a transcript Of Lasher's testi-
'1ony. He did not know. he told re-
rorters. whether he would have any
dG dbe WITH ssviasbS the HTssti9n Of de-
~Secutions,
Another important point brought
Nit yesterday was that Mr. Becker is
,1termined to have an analysis made
the dougts used by some the the
Lig baking. companies IN order to de-
termine whether the proper ingred-
tents were being used.
While James y. Arthur, secretary Of
the Ward Raking Company. was on
the stand he was asked this question:
rs 1t not true that a man represen =
,ng a state department went to your
Plant h,a1 s:,,ar Yesterday and asked you to give
was refused the samples?"
YES" said Mr.. Arthur: that is
"a |Ars ,an;s you willing to let him have the
We are willing to II we must" re-
piled the witness
Will Insist On Samples.
Secretary Fitzgerald of the State COM
mlttee on foods and markets said that
the law made it mandatory for the COM
pany to give the samples. and that he
would make an immediate demand upon
the firm.
Mr.. Becker said one important fact he
established was that, despite the in
crease f in price. the baking companies.
they We're still using flour purchased
months ago at around $3.50 barrel.
Another important bit OF information
brought out was the fact that the
Shuts company made a consid e ra bly,
larger profit in January this year than
the average profit for January. 1914.
Alfred Romer. of the Shuts company.
testified that there had been no agree.
raise the price of bread. The Shuts
company. he said. had taken the bull
by the horns. and made the announce
ment that the increase would go into
force on February 10. The other hig
companies. he said, followed like sheep
after the leader.
The inquiry was adjourned until to-
morrow morning at II o'clock, when
Joseph Letter will testify.
The grand jury continued it's investi-
cation into the conspiracy charges yes
terday, but made no report.