Omaha daily bee., 1921-11-23
Rents Only
E sent tial
State Economic Probe Board
Discovers All Other Necessi-
ties Are Either Stationary
Or Are Decreasing.
Bakers Tell Bread Cost

Lincoln, Nov. 22.-(Special Tclc-
gram. .)-Rcnts are the only essen
tial, related TO selling of necessities
to the public, which arc increasing
at the present time, the Mckelvie
economic probe committee discov-
cred today, as il continued to delve
into profit percentages as they go
from producer to consumer. Other
essentials are either going down or
remaining stationary, testimony dis
closed. The hearing will continue
tomorrow.
Harry Uerling, Lincoln baker, tes-
titled that w. Z. Sharp, wealthy
real estate owner and president OF
the. local traction company, had no.
tilted him of SIS monthly rental
increase. A. II. Brown, another
baker, testified he was forced to move
when informed of a 500 monthly
increase in rent. Other witnesses
testified their rents were not being
reduced.
Uerling gave the committee cost
percentages which showed an actual
loss on a l5-ounce loaf sold to gro
GERS for E cents. When his attention
was called to this Uerling said he
based his figures on the cost of flour
several weeks ago which was Sl0.50
a barrel, while it is now costing him
$7.l6 a barrel. He admitted that he
was charging more for bread when
flour was $l0.s0 berrel.
Bread Shows Profits.
A story of good net profits on
bread was told by Clyde E. Master
man, manager of the Gooch bakeries
in Lincoln. Masterman declared that
when every cost item was included
in a l5-ounce loaf of-bread, known
to the public as a pound loaf, it
amounted to 4.32 cents and sold for
6 cents to the grocer and went from
the grocer to the consumer for 9
cents today.
Original figures presented showed
a greater cost, but under crosse
animation by Assistant Attorney
General Reed, the witness admitted
he had arrived at the cost at time
when -four was higher than it is to-
day. The state officers then figured
the profit the baker makes today.
,' Grocer Is Witness.
c. II. Freadrich, Lincoln grocer,
testified he purchased small pack
ages of cornmeal for 10 cents and
sold them for Is cents.
"That is 50 per cent profit, isn't
it," Reed asked.
"Yes, so per cent cost profit, but
we figure it a 80 1-3 per cent selling
price profit" Freadrich replied.
Continuing, Freadrieh declared he
endeavored to average a rs per cent
gross profit on his turnover ofstock
which he estimated occurred eight
times a year.
as that cost or selling price prof.
it" Reed demanded.
Selling price," hereplied. Fig
uring cost profit it would be 50 1-5
per cent.
Groceteria Is Cheaper.
"Freadrich operates a groceteria in
connection with his grocery and tes-
tihed he sold groceteria articles from
10 to Is per cent less than in the
regular grocery"
THE groceteria cuts out clerk ex-
pense, delivery expense and book
keeping expense" he said.
Today's buying and selling price
OF poultry as quoted by Freadrich
who also operates meat market, fol-
low:
Hens bought for p cents sold for
26 cents; ducks, rs and "a cents;
geese, 20 and % cents; turkeys, 80
and 49 cents.
Freadrich testified he made prof.
it of 50 cents on every two ordinary
sacks of flour sold. The cost of the
two sacks is $50, the selling price,
$420.
F. D. Halverstedt, grocer, tes-
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