Evening star., 1924-01-04
FEDERAL BREAD ACT.
T. SOUGHT IN HOUSE.
Representative Brand, Ohio,
Charges Consumer Losing
|. s50,000,000 Annually.

Figuring that consumers are los
ing 5o.o0o.oo0 year on short weight
bread. Representative Charles Brand
OF Ohio today introduced a federal
bread act" designed to prevent such
unfairness in interstate commerce,
and to be a model for prospective
state laws.
This measure has the support of
federal agencies such as the bureau
OF standards of the Department of
Commerce and food service OF the
Department Of Agriculture. which CO.
operated with Representative Brand
In preparation Of the bill.
The desirability of such legisla-
tion was recognized by Congress in
1891, when it passed a standard
weight bread law for the District of
Columbia. Ohio, with the District of
Columbia, was a pioneer in correcting
the quite general evil of short-weight
loaves. Representative Brand is the
father Of the Ohio bread law, which
was enacted three years ago when he
was In the state senate. and which
raised the weight of loaf OF bread
IN that state from two to four ounces
without any addition to the price paid
by the consumer.
About twelve states have since
PASSED more or less satisfactory
bread laws, Representative Brand
points out. but there is still need for
feoeral statute to regulate inter-
state business. to bring about uni
Iormtty IN the ESSENTIAL points, and
70 guide state authorities all over the
country in framing state bread laws.
,bread is sold for cents general
~ he said, whether it be q I2 to
IL. OF l6 ounce loaf. There are about
hour. so the consumer ia paving
around $24 for the bread made from
barrel Of flour worth about Sc.
Consumer Loses Heavily.
Tn other words. the flour in a
pound loaf of bread is worth about
plains. "and when the consumer gets
IL or IA ounces he is not getting
sven z cents worth of food in terms
OF the raw material. The loss to the
foroo. amounts to at least one-eighth
Of what he pays. or 1 cent per loaf.
The total loss over the United States
is estimated conservatively at $780,
100000 year"
Tho Brand bill requires that bread
be sold. wrapped. in loaves weighing
! pound, Il pounds. or multiples OF
! pound. and that the weight must
DO shown on the wrapper of each
loaf
Emphasizing that bread laws are
easily enforced and practically with
out expense. Representative Brand
says that the weight marked on each
loaf advises the customer as to just
what he Is entitled and that each
baker will insist upon his competitors
giving the weight marked.
The necessity for such a measure
as Representative Brand has intro
duced was stressed at convention
Of weights and measures officials of
all the states which met in Wash
ington in May, 1922. which previ-
ously indorsed the proposition.
Prnises Ohio Law.
At that convention John NJ. Mote,
inspector Of weights and measures Of
Ohio. said: With the hearty CO.
operation, of 80 per cent of the baking
industry and having the support Of
the general public, We can safely say
that the Ohio bread law (of which
Representative Brand is the author)
IL one of the best statutes enacted in
Ohio in recent years.
Representative Brand has found
United States desire the passage of
a federal law such as he has now
introduced.
George K. Burgess, director of the
bureau Of standards, says that the
Brand federal bread law appears to
principle established by Congress in
passing the standard loaf of bread
act for the District of Columbia. He
says that 1t is designed to afford a
greater degree of protection to the
dealers and to the ultimate purchas-
ers OF bread in those states which
secure at least a portion of their
bread supply from bakeries located
outside their borders" In his opinion,
DIR. Burgess says, the Brand bill, if
enacted into law. will stimulate to
a very great extent the passage of
standard weight bread legislation in
several states"