Evening star., 1923-06-18

Never since Betsy Ross made the
first flag in 1777 has there been SO
little knowledge of the proper respect
for the nag" says Mrs. Harding. She
arose 110 times and gave the full
military salute to Old Glory passing
in the Shrine pageant. She Is eager
to help make the flag salute more
popular.
II the new flag code, adopted by
the flag conference of sixty-eight
patriotic societies last week, is ac-
cepted by the country, 1t will not be
required that ladies' raise the hand
to their millinery, but they will stand
erect, eyes on flag and right hand on
heart. There is nothing radically new
in the code, but what has peen
vaguely misunderstood by the masses
is there crystallized. The sixty-eight
patriotic societies, the public schools
and every committee which has to DO
with ceremonies Of patriotic nature
will hereafter have clear guide.
Perhaps fewer flags will serve as
tablecloths, while eloquent orators
send up eagle after eagle in their
enthusiasm for the glory of the re-
public. Fewer will be twisted into
butterfly festoons. Fewer will be left
out overnight in rain and storm.
4 II y
The question has been asked
whether 1T is permissible to wash or
dry clean a flag. There is tradi-
ton in the Navy and Army to the
effect that it is contrary to regula-
tions. A flag must be burned as
soon as it becomes soiled, but officers
in both Army and Navy confess, "un-
officially" that this rule Is violated,
and flags are often cleansed. Ger
tainly for a civilian to cleanse a flag
is no more disrespectful than to patch
it, when 1T becomes ragged by wear
AS one of the prominent patriots OF
the Daughters Of American Revolu-
ton remarks: We are not like the
rmy and Navy: we have to pay for
our f1ags. and they are costly
+
One of the largest chain groceries
of Washington persists in selling ex-
cellent bread at 5 cents per pound
loaf, in spite of the fact that other
bakeries have boosted the price to 8
or 10 cents
The excuse for last weeks rise in
price is that the working bakers
demanded and got. through threat
ened strike. a raise of 10 per cent in
their wages. So Wholesale bakeries
raised their price 20 per cent-a cent
loaf wholesale. Some retail bak-
cries thereupon are reported as hav-
ing added 2 cents to the retail price.
X y X
1t is alleged by the working bakers
that the labor of producing a loaf
amounts TO only % per cent OF it's
cost OF production. while -four
amounts to so per cent.
IF that be accurate. 1000 loaves
costing cents a loaf to produce
the labor would amount TO $3.50 and
the -four s25. total $3.50.
The rise in the wages. 10 per cent.
then. would bring the labor cost up
$1.25. making total labor cost S13.T5.
Flour has dropped 80 cents a bar
rel within the last fortnight. A bar
rel costs about 1915, now.
x
The proportion seems TO be cor
roborated by the authoritative state
ment Of a master baker that a barrel
of -four produces from ESQ to 800
loaves of bread. For 1000 loaves at
$50 per barrel, 3.57 barrels would
be needed, which at 1915 per barrel
would cost s24-which. is 4s per cent
Of the total cost OF 1000 loaves at 5
cents a loaf
The drop of 80 cents a barrel
would amount to s10I on 3.51 barrels
in 1,00e loaves. which comes within IS
cents per 1000 loaves OF offsetting the
rise in wages. On the strength of
that 1S cents. the wholesale bakers
add $40 to the wholesale price. and
some retailers add $50 to, $40.
Where is the joker? These figures
are not carried out to the nth decimal
but they illustrate the general sit
Cation.
= X x X
Bret Harte was wrong We are
not 'ruined by Chinese cheap labor