Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-13
D. c. WHOLE-WHEAT
LOAF TO BE CUT
|. ONE-CENT MONDAY
M. Lee Marshall, Head of
Continental Baking Corpora
ton, Tells Senators Aim.
WAGE SCALE PREVENTS
GENERAL REDUCTION
Frank Wheeler, E. A. Wireback
and Leon S. Ulman Other
District Witnesses.

Discussion of bread prices in Wash
ington took up considerable part of
the senatorial food inquiry again yes
terday, during which M. Lee Marshall,
chairman of the board of the CONT
mental Baking Corporation, which OPP
crates the Corby Bakery here, prom
ised reduction of / cent in its whole
wheat bread in the District Monday
to equalize it with the white bread.
MIR. Marshall testified there has been
no general decrease in the price of
bread in Washington because of the
wage scale paid here to bakeshop and
delivery employees, but he contended
the quality of the bread has been in
creased by better ingredients and
longer baking time. He said he found
the whole-wheat bread has been selling
l cent higher than white bread here,
adding:
Il am glad this committee has called
attention to this subject. 1 shall see
that the price is reduced next Monday.
If the same differential obtains in any
other city where Continental owns bak-
cries I shall equalize it on my return
to my Office"
Other Witnesses Heard.
Other witnesses whose testimony dealt
partly with Washington were Frank
Wheeler, assistant to the president of
the Great Atlantic g. Pacific Tea Co.;
E. A. Wirebacky superintendent of bak-
cries of the American Stores Co., and
Leon S. Ulman, vice president of the
Holmes Bakery.
Senator Capper of Kansas, chairman
of the Agricultural subcommittee con-
Quoting the hearings, questioned the
witnesses in detail regarding District
prices.
Mr.. Wheeler said his company does
not have one of its own bakeries in
Washington, that it pays cents for
bread here and sells it for cents.
Senator Capper said the wholesale
price of bread has not gone down in
Washington in the past five years and
asked Mr.. Wheeler for his opinion on
the subject. The witness replied that
ne was not familiar with the cost
figures of local bakeries. Mr.. Wheeler
said his company has its own bakery in
Baltimore. Senators Frazier of North
Dakota and Townsend of Delaware sug-
gested they might bring bread here
from the Baltimore plant. Mr.. Wheeler
said he had no doubt but that in time
the company would have a bakery In
Washington
Mr.. Wireback said the American
Stores Co. has its own bakery in WASH
mgton and that since March, 1928, has
been selling scent loaf of bread.
When Capper asked what the company
made on that price, the witness replied
that in Washington it cost SCI cents
to make this bread. Mr.. Wireback said
the scent price was inaugurated here
to conform to the company's other dis
wi i Il
ton is one of the factors entering into
the cost figure he gave, explaining that
the company has provided a baking
plant here capable OF a much larger
output.
PrviOus Price Cuts.
Mr.. Ulman of the Holmes bakery told
Senator Capper there have been several
reductions in bread prices in Washing
ton In the last 10 years. In 1922, he
said, the price went as low as cents
a pound wholesale and Z cents retail.
He said that might have been due to a
bread war, which, he said lasted about
ID months at that time and cost local
bakeries between 100000 and So
100000.
Mr.. Ulman gave the present price as
8 cents loaf, wrapped and delivered.
Asked by Senator Capper about the
prospect of reduction, Mr.. Ulman said
II he had reduced the price l cent last
year he would have operated in red
figures.
Testimony that the general level of
food prices has dropped 1873 per cent
since September, 1929, was presented at
yesterdays hearing.
The committee virtually completed its
inquiry into bread prices with several
manufacturers denying excessive profits
and contending the lower prices of
wheat and flour had been fully re-
hected in the cost of bread.
Today several sugar refiners will
testify on the cost of sugar, with par
ticular reference to the difference be-
tween the price of white and brown
sugar. Next week the committee will
inquire into the prices of milk and
dairy products and meats.
Good Bread Prices Low.
Mr.. Marshall told the committee "the
price of good bread is lower today than
it has been since before the. war" Dur
ing 1880, he said, his company had
generally reduced the price of bread or
increased weights in the loaves.
Marshall said the company was
spending 100000 year more for
better Ingredients than formerly. He
denied his company had ever attempted
to fix prices declaring 1t did less than
per cent of the total bread business
of the country.
Admitting there was little justifica-
ton for selling whole wheat bread at
higher prices than white bread, Mar
shall told the committee his company
would reduce the price of the former
to correspond to the cost of white
bread beginning Monday.
Alvin E. Dodd of the Kroger Grocery
g. Baking Co, another chain group,
testified that the prices of many foods
had declined from 20 to IS per cent
since October, 1929.
He said his company was. selling
bread for cents a loaf, as compared
with in 1929, reduction of 1872
per cent, which, he said, more than
reDresentad the decreased Drice of