The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-09-01
r
lslf tBA COMING
TO MlSSOULA TUESDAY
Bakers Announce Increase
in Price and Size
of Wares.
SAY IT'S INEVITABLE
Flour Too High to Permit
Continuance of Dime
Sales Now.
SAY IT'S INEVITABLE

Following the announcement Of the
$2.20 wheat price set by the govern
ment the bakers of Missoula an
nounced yesterday that the price Of
bread would he raised from 10 cents to
il cents a loaf. beginning next Tues
day. The action of the bakers is the
result of a meeting held Thursday
night at which the local bread makers
decided that a rise in bread prices
would he necessary in view of the high
cost of flour.
Local bakers said yesterday that the
question of raising bread prices had
been under advisement for several
weeks but that no definite action was
taken until the government had acted
on the wheat price. They declared
that If the wheat price had been set
at $l.5o there would have been no
need for a raise in the price of bread.
Bought Flour at Low Price.
Although wheat prices have been
high for the past few months local
/ bakers. say they. have been able to
hold the price of bread at 10 cents be-
cause of having purchased a big sup
ply of flour last fall when it was much
loNtF ina II AZ tue present Tune.
Although a loaf of bread will cost
Is cents after next Tuesday the house.
wife will be furnished with loaf Of
bread weighing full pound instead OF
a short pound. which has been the
weight of the Decent loaf.
Missoula is one of the last cities in
the state to SO to the 15-cent loaf
Early last spring bakers in the other
large cities of Montana raised the
price of bread. but local bakers re-
manned at the same price.
r. .. Grissom proprietor of the
Pure Food Bakery. said last night that
with the present price of wheat the
bakers would be forced out of bust
ness if they continued to sell bread 1T
10 cents.
Must Raise, Baker Says.
r. Davisconrt, proprietor of the
Royal bakery, in speaking of the rise
of price yesterday said;
1T is absolutely necessary that we
raise the price OF bread at this time
if we expect to remain in business
We are now out of the flour we pur-
chased last fall and under the present
price of flour it is impossible to fur.
nish bread at 10 cents. With the gov
eminent setting the price of wheat at
Sa.20 it looks as though we cannot eN-
pect to come back to the l0-cent loaf
unless flour is brought down by tbs
government.
Expects Drop Presently.
Within 60 days the government
price of 1920 on wheat will go into
effect said Alexander Benson, pro-
prietor of the Garden City Bakery
last night, and I can see no reason
why the price of bread should not b,
lowered to 10 cents"
Jay Burns of Omaha, former presi-
dent of the National Association Of
Bakers. is quoted by local bakers Ii
analysing the situation he says in part
as follows:
Bread has been selling pretty gem
orally over the country at 10 cents per
pound retail. and this represents a
flour cost about $3.50 per barrel
according to formula used--the price
will range from 1925 to SO.
Most bakers We're supplied with
flour purchased before the big advance
Of April and May-purchased at $40 or
helow-and while they had this flour
bread sold on the basis of $3.50 to $40
flour and Will continue to sell on that
basis so long as the supply holds ont
Bakers very generally are now run
ming out of flour and even though
flour has declined in price from the
high point of SIT to approximately
$3.50 the baker purchasing now is
using flour at an advance to him, of
some 80 LIS per cent over the flour
used in April. May and June
That Herbert c. Hoover national
food administrator will begin action
to have the price of bread lowered by
the government, has been contained in
information received from Washing
ton, p. c. 1t has been the intention of
the government to frs, lower the price
of wheat and then to take flour and
lastly bread and lower them in pro-
portion after careful investigation of
existing conditions.