The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-01
NO Big DROP IN
BREAD PRICES;
FLOUR CHEAPER
Best Public May Expect Is
16-ounce Loaf for 8 to
- 10 Cents
FIVE CENT LOAF
AIM OF COMMITTEE
But 1920 Wheat Will
Bring Reduction of So
to So In Flour
(RY Associated Press.l

Washington, Sept 1.-PTospects Of
an early and radical drop in bread
prices apparently vanished last night
when Herbert Hoover. the food adj
ministrator announced that the best
the public may expect Is a 16-ounce
loaf for 10 cents or possibly s cents.
The loaf Of 16-ounces Is possible,
Mr. Hoover said, only IL bakers, re-
tailers and consumers unite TO ELL
inmate wasteful distribution methods
and cooperate to obtain a standard
lied loaf.
The price Of family -four. he said,
should be reduced at the present
price Of wheat 50 or 50 a barrel at
least.
Bakers flour, however. will sell lit
tie cheaper than at present.
e. /. Corby, who is serving for the
bakers of the country as a voluntary
aid to Mr.. Hoover. said last night
that a 16-ounce loaf for 10 cents
would represent a slight reduction
In present prices. Standardization,
he said, would be hard to bring
about, since varying costs in ingre-
dents that 60 into bread have made
IL necessary to increase or reduce
the size OF the loaf.
No move will be made toward price
reduction, Mr.. Corby said, until the
food administration has announced
it's plans for dealing with the baking
industry. It may be a month before
the program 10 ready.
The bakers have been and are
holding themselves in readiness,
said a statement by Mr.. Corby, ito
effect the conservation OF wheat.
They have been cooperating with Mr..
Hoover and have supplied data and
facts to assist the food administra-
ton in perfecting its plans relative
to bread.
Five Cent Loaf Possible.
Members Of the wheat price COM
mittee which recommended the price
Of $220 fixed by President Wilson
for wheat declared after their work
was ended that the committee was
convinced II was possible to make
and sell a fourteen ounce loaf Of
bread for Ave cents.
The country's millers have agreed
to hold their profits on flour to IS
cents a barrel. Under this agree
ment, Mr.. Hoover said. -four should
retail in New York at from $11.75 to
S12.75 q barrel. The price Of bak-
retailers, he said, should be from
$10.35 to $11.25. The average retail
price of family patent in New York
from April to August has been $685..
At present bakers patent Is selling
in New York to tobbers at $1O.65'
which would make II cost small bak-
ers and retailers about Sll.
Mr.. Hoover made It clear that un-
der the food control act. except In
isolated instances. the food admin
istration has no control OF prices
from the time -four reaches the
wholesaler until IL IL sold by bakers
and retailers as bread. A price re-
duction can be accomplished only by
voluntary action by bakers and re-
taiIers and by the assistance Of the
public In eliminating waste.
Flour prices in cities other than
New York. Mr.. Hoover said, probably
will be about as follows. based on
the New York price: Boston, ten
cents more; Pittsburgh, ten cents
less; New Orleans. twenty-five cents
less; Chicago, thirty-five cents less;
Minneapolis, fifty cents less. and
Kansas City, sixty cents less.