The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-07-25
COST
OF BREAD is
STILL HIGH
Price Remains Same Despite
Drop in Wheat-Cut
Is Unlikely,
Nv T HEAT. prices have tumbled
w from their high places to pre-
war levels But it doesn't

war levels. But 1t doesn't
mean anything yet to the consumer.
American consumers of bread need
not look for reduction In the price
of bread for some time, if at all, ac-
cording to a nation wide survey made
for The Indianapolis Times by NEA
Service.
Upward trend of wheat prices sent
bread skyrocketing in 1916. But
bakers insist now the price of flour
is but a small part of bread cost, and
scott at hopes of Old Nickel Loaf
doing a comeback.
The most optimistic reports come.
strangely enough, from opposite ends
of the country New York and Los
Angeles buyers MAY in thirty or
forty-five days, have a cent clipped
from the price of a loaf. They MIGHT
be able to do 1t, but that's as far as
grocers, millers and wholesalers will
venture in the business of prognos-
tication.
In other large cities Of the nation,
the prospect of a cut seems dim.
Flour to the wholesaler has slumped,
but the latter has at least a months
supply on hand that they bought at
the high figure, Moreover, they
complain that the cut in price of a
barrel Of -four would have to be very
sharp before it would make a dent in
the retail price of a loaf Of bread,
because labor is the biggest item of
cost to contend with, and not flour.
Dispatches from Washington, New
York, Los Angeles and Chicago are
printed below. -t
Farmer Suffers
Other telegraphed news from New
Orleans, Denver. st. Paul. Cleveland
Seattle and San Francisco reveals
about the same conditions, except that
in these latter cities the belief that
the price of a loaf won't be cut for
a long time. If ever. is more positive
The fact that the farmer is getting
only about so cents for bushel Of
wheat-said to be actually below his
cost of producing it-seems to make
no difference in the price of bread.
In San Francisco, lower wheat prices
caused a drop of so cents to 50 a bar
rel, depending on the grade. The
demand is off, as bakers are waiting
developments in an agitated market
No immediate bread reduction Is in
sight. ---------.
The same condition holds for Sc
attic. where -four dropped 10 cents a
barrel-but bread prices remained sta
tionary. S B. Asia, large wholesaler
says sugar, labor and delivery con-
stitute the greatest expense In max
Ing bread.
Flour men of Minneapolis and ST.
Paul. big grain centers. expect the
price of wheat to rise soon. Conse-
quently. instead of further reductions.
they expect increases in -four and
consequently no changes in price OF
bread.
Dealers at Denver say the drop In
price Of a barrel is negligible when
split among 200 loaves. There isn't a
chance of a reduction, they report.
Little Fellows
Bakers in New Orleans complain
that millers. despite the drop in price
Of wheat, have quoted them no lower
figures on -four They believe this is
the time for the little fellows" to get
together and cut In on their whole
sale opposition.
The grocery trade is of the opinion
that housewives will get busy with
their ovens again if millers allow the
price of flour to drop along with that
of wheat. AS to the dining-out public
-bah!-they will continue to pay as
usual.
Cleveland prices Of bread viii not
change, according to present outlook.
Flour is slightly cheaper. due to the
wheat drop, but as in other cities,
bakers say this slight cut can't posi-
bly, mean lower price for the loaf