New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-26
STALE BREAD
LIKELY TO FORCE
DROP In PRICE
Big Bakers Said To Be
Hard Hit by Heavy Re
turn of UnSold LoaveS.
5-CENT COMPETITION
ALSO BEING FELT
Investigator Denies He Said
Rise Was JuStified-Leiter
TO Testify To-day.

The probability Of an early return
20 the fve-ceut loaf Of bread by the
big bakers who raised the price, as
told in The Tribune yesterday, IS
strengthened by information received
At the Attorney Generals Office. Dep
utv Attorney General Becker, who IS
conducting the state investigation OF
the advance Of prices, was told yes
'erdav By representatives OF some OF
tho largest baking concerns that they
we're being hard hit" since they raised
Che price 20 six cents, and that the
GROWING competition with the bakers
who retained the old price might drive
them back 20 the fvc-Ccnt fold.
Nr Becker denied yesterday that he
had said the present price OF hour
justified the advance IN the price OF
bread, as he had been quoted IN some
cf the papers. lie said that he had not
reached any decision from the inves-
tigation so far as 70 whether the al
vance was justified or whether there
had been criminal acts in restraint Of
trade in bringing about the higher
price.
"My understanding Is that the ma
;oritv Of bakers have not raised the
pricc." said Mr.. Becker, "and any IN
dication that some OF the big bakers
NAV 20 back 20 the old price is very
good example Of what competition VIII
90.
"Thc object Of the antitrust laws
ia 10 preserve free competition. II
this Investigation or any other force
brought 20 bear prevents the restraint
81 competition and the result IS that
competition forces the price back
where IL was. the public will receive
the benefit.
Stale Bread Factor.
"A representative Of one of the larg-
est baking companies in this city told
me to-day" said Mr.. Becker. that
thcy were being very hard hit since
the price was raised, and that the
amount Of bread returned unsold was
very large. A representative Of an
other large concern told me that they
felt justified in raising the price and
keeping il up, If competition would
permit H..
Some OF the bakers, representing
the largest firms, who have been wit
nesses at the Attorney Generals IN
curry. have told the Deputy Attorney
General that they were especially IN
terested in the testimony Of Caleb II.
Candy. president of the Chicago Board
Of Trade. that he believed present con-
ditions would soon readjust them
selves and that the abnormal condi-
tions Of to-day, with the high prlce
OF wheat and -four, were only tempo
rary.
The Wholesale bakers who raised the
price are also seeking to cut down
expenses. The returns in stale
bread" as they call the unsold bread,
had increased so much under the six
cent loaf in some instances, il was
said, that fewer deliveries we're being
made. One firm was said TO have cut
their daily deliveries 10 customers
from two OF three a day TO only one
delivery.
Investigator Denies Story.
Deputy Attorney Becker issued the
following statement yesterday in re
ference 20 the reports in some Of the
papers that he had said the bakers
were justified in raising the price of
bread:
"Some Of the newspapers have quoted
me as having stated that the present
price OF -four justified the advance in
the price OF bread, / did not so state.
No conclusion has as yet been reached
as 10 the justification Of an increased
price. What did say was that the
cost figures presented by the exper;
Of the Shuts Bread Company, if bona
fide, would seem to justify that COM
pany increasing the price Of bread The
figures furnished by the different
bakers Of their costs will be carefully
fcrutinized 20 ascertain whether they
are correct and reasonable IN amount
THE principal question which the
Attorney General has directed me TO
investigate is whether the increase in
price justified or not, has been accom-
panied by any combination in restraint
OF trade. II the increase has been
brought about by agreement among
bakers, that would be a violation OF
law. Il would also be violation OF
law n any one baker. in order to pro.
tect his trade. entered into agreements
s----------------