Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-12-14
BAKERS CONFER
ON QUESTION OF
SIX-CENT LOAF
Question of Whether Price
Shall Be Raised Here
Still Unsettled
FIGURING EXPERT TALKS
Throws Light on Variance of
Prices During Last Sew
eral Years
FIGURING EXPERT TALKS


That is the question uppermost In
the minds of Harrisburg bakers.
The Pennsylvania Master Bakers
Association has advised the six-cent
loaf. Bakers all agree that they need
the money. But City Sealer Reel says.
It's an attempt to gouge the public:
State Sealer Sweeney declares the ba-
liers are already getting "all that's
coming to them"-and so there you
are!
The status-quo is this-bread is still
nve cents. Conferences are being held
by the bakers to decide the momen-
tary question of a raise.
The Flour Situation
;. ). Miller, representative of one
or the big Touring industries OF the
country, with offices in the Telegraph
on the wheat and flour situation which
throws considerable light on the pro-
posal of the bakers to raise the price
or bread. Mr.. Miller shows how prices
have varied during the past several
years and SAYS the end is not yet. His
statement follows:
The newspapers have given con-
siderable space recently to the prices
OF foodstuffs and especially the bread
question" said Mr.. Miller.
The bread question has been dis
cussed from the bakers standpoint
and from standpoint of the sealer
of weights and measures for both the
State and the city. these departments
operating as safeguard to the buying
public.
ut is admitted that articles of all
kinds regardless of the fact as to
whether they be foodstuffs. wearing
apparel or manufactured goods used
IN large building operations, by rail-
road companies, etc. have advanced
in price to considerable extent.
Since the bread question has be-
come an important subject for dis
cussion, l thought it would be we'll
to give to the public some facts con-
cerning Hour. Flour, which repre-
sents the greatest item of expense in
bread bakery, has advanced in price
from December .. 1919. to the present
date approximately 100 per cent on
December 9. 1919. the quality of flour
as used in the large bakeries was sold
Tor $3.50 per barrel; on December 5,
1914. S5,S5: December 5, 1915. S6.O5:
December o, 1916, 1886. All deliver
ed (. o. b. Harrisburg. This same flour
withln the last 60 days has been as
high as s10.25 per barrel.
Being interested in the sale of
flour, it is natural to suppose that
would have no particular interestin any
controversy the buying public might
have with the baker, but it is nv opin-
ion that the public should be dealt
fairly with and in the thought of ad-
Naneing the price of bread. I am of
the opinion that the information with
reference to the cost of flour, cover
ing period of four years is of inter
est not only to the public, but to
those who operate the departments of
weights and measures in the city of
Harrisburg. and the State of Pennsyl-
vania-
The above figures are correct in
every detail and the only conclusion
that can be reached from the bakers
standpoint is that some adjustment
will have to be made with reference
to the selling prices of this commo-
dity.
Flour is not the only article which
has advanced in price. hut every COM
modify which comes into bakery for
the manufacture of the finished pro-
duct has had considerable advances;
paper. spices, fuel, labor and articles
necessary for the maintenance of de-
livery
My purpose as a -four merchant in
advancing this information is to let
the public know exactly what condi-
tons are at the present time, and
have been for some time past; and l
believe after all that the only way to
operate business successfully is TO
take the public into its confidence and
give 1t the conditions as they exist
The making of bread is not done un-
der any secret process and any house
wife can testify to the fact that the
cost of homemade bread has ad-
vanced in gerat proportions, because
or the higher prices of articles used
in baking.
I'm conclusion it is the opinion the
millers and all large bakers. that the
-four market is going to maintain its
high prices for some time to come
and among many reasons they advance
for this thought is that the mills will
be compelled to discontinue manufac-
turing for some time if traffic condi-
tions do not improve. All sales of
-four are being made, at present, sub
ject to shipping delays. Embargoes
are being placed by some of the rail-
roads and the question of moving
grain is one that is very perplexing.