Evening star., 1916-09-29
Cooperation of Federal
Agencies for Suggestion OF
Remedy to Be Invoked.
u, S, COMMERCE CHAMBER
URGED TO INVITE VIEWS
Program for Nationwide Campaign
to Be Prepared by Committee
of Washington Body.

With Washington bakers expressing
the belief they will have to raise the
price of bread. as has already been
done in New York, Chicago and other
large cities. as result of the soaring
price of flour, which is now the highest
it has been since the civil war. leading
business interests today took up plan
to obtain the nationwide views as to
what is best to be done to meet the
situation.
The Chamber of Commerce of the
United States is to be urged to take
referendum of it's subsidiary organiza-
tions as a barometrical indication of
what the business men of the country
think would be most efficacious to pro-
tect the consumers.
The cooperation of many federal
agencies is to be invoked. including
the bureau of markets of the Depart
ment of Agriculture. which is already
investigating the marketing of wheat;
the solicitor of the Department of Ag-
riculture, the federal trade commits
sion and the bureau of foreign and do
meStic commerce of the Department of
Commerce. President Wilson already
has before him several petitions from
a special session of Congress to con-
slider the wheat situation with the sug-
.,eStion that an embargo should be de-
ciared against the shipment of wheat
out of this country.
Washington Chambers Action.
The special committee appointed by
the executive committee of the Wash
ington Chambe Of Commerce yesterday,
Of which John G. Capers is chairman.
is to hold a meeting Monday noon.
when definite program for the nation
wide campaign is to be adopted. In
the meantime the members of the COM
mittee. most of whom are commission
and flour men of extensive experience,
are carefully preparing data to be SUBJ
mitted at that meeting as gathered by
the Chamber of Commerce of the United
States and by the Commerce and Agri-
culture Departments.
As fear has been expressed that the
farmers might feel that they would
embargo on wheat, business leaders are
Preparing to present the general well
fare view of the situation at the meet
ing Of the National Grange here in No
yeniber.
What They Expect to Prove.
They expect to prove to the farmers
that they will get just as good prices
for their wheat by having it held in
this country and milled here as they
would get through their product being
shipped to all the nations of the world
They propose to argue that the United
States must take care of her own hun
CRY first and make 1t possible for them
to get flour; that after that the other
needy nations should pay the price for
flour ii America has it to spare.
The committee of the Washington
Chamber of Commerce is going to wait
on all government officials who would
be interested in this matter and it
hopes to invoke the support of Con-
gress- The presentation of the case to
the National Grange is in the expecta-
ton of getting the support of that or
gauization.
Local Bakers Reluctant to Talk.
Washington bakers seen today were
reluctant to discuss the outlook re-
garding the weight and price of loaves
of bread, following the publication Of
dispatches from New York, Chicago and
elsewhere that the price had been
raised. They say that if the price of
-four and all other ingredients continues
to rise they will be forced to raise their
price for bread, but that they will not
do this until absolutely compelled to.
They take the position that competi-
tion will compel each baker to give the
largest loaf he can for the money
In Chicago the price of small loaf
of bread was raised from to S cents.
The price of cookies, crullers and
other bakery goods was advanced Rolls
and doughnuts that sold for 10 cents
advanced to IL cents a dozen; those
that sold for IL cents went up to Is
cents. Five-cent sandwiches at some
downtown restaurants and lunch coun-
ters Were sold for 7 cents
4, While the federal investigators were
learning what could be done regarding
the Increased prices housewives pre-
pared TO hold a mass meeting. to de-
mand that Congress place an embargo
on the expectation of wheat and -four
until the home supply exceeds the home
consumption.
The biggest bakeries in New York an
nounced the increase to go into effect
October 3
Some weeks ago. while the National
Association of Master Bakers was
holding its annual convention in Salt
Lake City. the federal trade commits
sion made an investigation of the
wheat situation in Minnesota and Ohio,
and the commission is to be asked to
make this report public as soon as pos
sible.
Want Wheat Exports Stopped.
At a meeting Of the United Master
Bakers of New York on September 13
resolutions were adopted urging Con-
gress and the President to stop the ex-
portation of wheat Several similar