Evening journal., 1917-06-14
TO ABOLISH Return
OF UNSOLD BREAD
Government So Requests as
Means of Conserving
Food Supply
CITY'S BAKERS WILL
JOIN IN NEW PLAN

Conforming 10 the request OF the
Commercial Economy Board Of the
Council Of National Defense, at Wash
ington. received by Wilmington ba-
kers on May 9, the local baking firms
sent to Washington a complete array
OF statistics showing how much I'M
sold bread was accepted back from
retail grocers and dealers in VIII
mington. and what disposition the
bakers made of these returned lOaves.
The consolidated return Of the Will
mington baking industry Of the
amount Of bread which thus was re-
turned and considerable of II wasted.
was a revelation Of food waste in this
city alone. Multiplied by the number
of cities in the country. the amount
Of perfectly good bread daily wasted
is appalling
In an effort to conserve the food
supply as far as the staff OF life" is
concerned, the Commercial Economy
Board is endeavoring to inaugurate a
movement nationwide. that will re-
suit in tremendous savings Of bread
each day, by securing the co-opera-
ton Of all bakers in the country in
abolishing the return OF bread unsold
by retail dealers.
It is the intention through this ac-
ton, TO insure the cooperation OF the
retail dealer, through inducing him
TO order no more bread than his daily
requirements demand. and eventual
ly, 10 induce the housewives of the
land to notify her retailer in advance.
from day 20 day, how much bread
they will require the following day.
This would enable the retailer to
make an intelligent order on the
wholesaler, and to avoid entirely the
tremendous waste of bread which
now obtains all over the country.
The ideas OF the Board are set forth
in the following communication, re-
ceived by Wilmington bakers within
the past week and with which the
larger baking firms have promised to
cooperate and TO try to secure SINH
lar cooperation on the part OF all the
bakers, large and small, within the
city;
I'm the present emergency. the i'm
portance Of outstanding the wheat
supply is such that all wastes Of
wheat, no matter how small, must be
stopped With this necessity in view,
the Commercial Economy Board has
conducted an inquiry into the whole
sale bakery practice Of taking back
unsold bread from retailers. The in
yestigation covered representative
bakeries in all parts OF the United
States. II appears that approximately
per cent of all the bread delivered
by wholesale bakers is later returned
to them. and that at least one-third
of this is sold for animal feed.
"A portion OF the bread returned
is sold at reduced prices to charitable
institutions and the poor The Board
points out, however. that with the
cost OF carrying this bread to and
from the retailers eliminated the
baker could afford fully as we'll to
sell the same amount OF bread at the
same reduced prices.
with few exceptions, the bakers
consulted agreed that the waste OF
labor and human food involved in the
practice Of accepting returns is de-
trimental TO the public interest, and
should be discontinued.
This is also the conclusion Of the
Board. and OF the Council Of National
Defense.
You are therefore hereby re-
quested, in common with all other
wholesale bakers, not to accept re-
turns Of unsold bread on June 25 and
thereafter"
This subject opens way In which
the thousands Of housewives in Will
mington, many of whom have looked
upon the question Of food conservation
with some awe. and with an idea, in
many cases, that IT is a production Of
alarmists or faddists. can be of I'M
told service to the country during the
war. And 1t is no hard work they are
requested TO do, or hardship to en-
dure. All that is necessary for them
to be OF more service than many at
this time realize, is 10 notify their
grocer. baker, or other person from