New-York tribune., 1920-01-16
Williams Fights
Bread Price Rise:
Would Cut Profit
Retailers Will Be Asked to
Keep Cost to Consumer
Stationary in Event That
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

Julius Fl. Barnes, head of the United
States Grain Corporation. will be asked
by Federal Food Administrators Arthur
Williams to-day to attend the confer
ence next week of the administrator
and wholesale bakers regarding pos
sible increase in the price of bread.
Mr.. Williams said that he had been
informed by the bakers that the price
of flour had advanced from $12 bar
rel to SIS. About 270 loaves are made
from each barrel. The administrator
said he was puzzled by the reported
advance at a time when the United
States Grain Corporation was offering
-four to the public at greatly reduced
prices.
He declared that he wanted to dis
cuss with Mr.. Barnes the justification
and also the varieties of -four available
for bread baking. If necessary, Mr..
Williams said, he might suggest that
different variety Of -four than that
used at present be employed in bread
baking, provided the best quality only
went into it.
Has Faith in Retailers
Mr.. Williams said that he places
great reliance In the $4,000 dealers who
handle bread in this city.
IL will impress upon these dealers
the necessity Of holding down the
bread price," Mr.. Williams continued.
II will probably have retailers at the
conference next week. If it is proved
beyond q reasonable doubt that the
wholesale bread bakers must have more
money for their product or suspend
operations, l will try to have the re-
tailers cut down their margin of
profit"
Bread is the food barometer. If
its price advances the general unrest
will be given stimulus. Perhaps,
when retailers see this, they will con-
sent to handle bread at no profit at all
during the three winter months. The
-four price will drop with the coming
of warmer weather, enabling the re-
tailers to recoup any slight losses they
might have sustained.
II am pleased with the spirit of the
wholesalers in deferring any advance
until they have taken the matter up
with representatives of the public
This atmosphere Of cooperation has
prevaded the entire foodstuffs market
and is helping US out of a difficult
situation"
No Advance for Thirty Days
Wholesale bread bakers, who suppl,
hundreds Of grocers and delicatesser
'S~AVo, SoAu yCcIcEudy tHdC tney mac
} enough material on hand purchased a
the old scale to enable them to max,
: bread at the present price for thirt,
days at least. 1t was said that th'
outcome Of the conference with Mr.
Williams would not effect the cost @
!: bread to the consumer for that period
Members of Mr.. Williams's staff can
yssssd ,,n. d. the Sy city Yesterday, obtaining
range was discovered, the figures a
some Of the stores with elaborate fix
lures being considered extremely high
1t was brought out, however, that house
: wives could obtain good and inexpen
sive bread by shopping. Some of tn
prices reported by the investigator
included: Macy's department store. 1s
ounce loaf, store wrapped, cents
32-ounce loaf, 16 cents; Buffers l6
ounce loaf, factory wrapped, 8 cents
. Atlantic and Pacific stores, 14-ounc
, loaf, factory wrapped, cents: 20
| ounce loaf, 12 cents; Reeves's, 16-ounc
loaf, factory wrapped. 10 cents; 20
ounce loaf, Ia cents; Roulston's. l6
ounce loaf, store wrapped, 8 cents
and 32-ouncc loaf, II cents.