The sun., 1916-09-16
HIGH BREAD PRICES.
LAID TO WHEAT PIT
Commissioner Hartigan Asks
Federal Probe Of Chicago
Board Of Trade.
REVEALS BAKERS TRICKS
City Official Says 10 Cent
LOavcs Are Sometimes
Short Weight.

Investigation Of the Chicago wheat
pit by the Federal Trade Commission
was requested yesterday by Joseph j.
Hartigan, Commissioner OF Weights and
Measures of this city and secretary Of
the Mayors food supply committee. He
thinks prices Of wheat and -four have
been artihcially boosted by the Chicago
Board OF Trade and would drop Just AZ
Gasolene did II the Government did some
detective work.
He has found much selling Of short
weight bread In New York. but while
getting after the bakers he is convinced
that they are skimping their loavcs be-
cause the price Of bread materials has
been raised by manipulation.
White -four. as sold by jobbers to
small bakers. reached Ss.75 a barrel in
February. 1915. Its high mark In recent
years. Since then II has sold as low as
$3.50. In April Of this year 1t Jumped
suddenly and now ranges more than So
a barrel. Although this years wheat
crop. as estimated by the Government.
Ia 400, 900, 900 bushels short OF last
years. Mr.. H%artigan believes the pres
ent figures for wheat and -four are UNI
warranted.
In dealing with the local situation he
will ask the Board OF Aldermen on
Tuesday to pass an ordinance compelling
all dealers to sell bread by weight. Al
derman Frank Bowling tried this last
winter, but his ordinance stuck in COM
mittee.
Bread Prices. Raised In East side.
Mr.. Hartigan has sent to District At
torney Swami u letter received yester-
day alleging that the bakers Of the lower
East Side in a secret meeting ave
pafanA TIM nrtC0 ~ sshlark hvpad' from 4
to Z cents a pound and ha We also put
an Increase on rolls.
In his letter to the chairman OF the
Federal Trade Commission Mr.. Harti-
gan says In part:
"Your attention Is respectfully d.
rscted to the situation regarding the in
creased cost to the consumers in the
city Of New York Of flour and bread.
The local authorities are without ade-
Quate remedy to relieve the consumer OF
the burdens now imposed in view Of the
increased cost OF -four. as well as the in
creased cost Of materials for bread maxi
ing:
at IL generally accepted as being true
BY those in the bread making trade that
prevailing high prices on wheat are the
result OF manipulation and juggling OF
prices. It is respectfully submitted that
the public are entitled to know wheth--
the prevailing high prices on Hour which
are consequent from the high prices o n
wheat are based o. normal and staple
conditions or whether they are the re-
suit Of artificial price raising through
manipulation on the Chicago Board of
Trade"
LOaves Are Vow short weight.
Under the State law the standard five
cent loaf Of bread is supposed to weigh
twelve ounces. Ten per cent. variation
from this normal is allowed for evapora.
ton. Mr.. Hartigan's inspectors have
found that bakers are generally taking
advantage OF this allowance. That Is
loaves marked 'l2 ounces really weigh
only eleven or Whereabouts. In som
cases they are below the legal allowance
Loaves turned out by small bakers gen
orally weigh an ounce or IN ounce ant
one-half less than the product OF a fort
night ago.
Max Strasser. ex-president Of the Mas
ter kerr Association. said yesterday
Flour has jumped so high that II tn,
bakers didn't either reduce the weight OF
raise the price Of their loaves they woult
lose money"
Mr.. H%artigan has caused the arrest
Of many bakers and small dealers &C
eused OF falsely labelling their bread
Two OF these cases are on appeal tn
others have not been tried.