Evening star., 1942-12-30
Retail Bread Prices
Remain Unchanged
As Flour Cost Jumps
Bakers Abandon SIicinq
To Cut OFF 10 Per Cent
Increase at Mill
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
The bread knife, outmoded in
many kitchens by the bakers
mechanical SliCers. made a come
back today by cutting off a 10
per cent -four price increase at
the mill before it reaches the
housewife.
The Government authorized the
price boost last night to help offset
the increase it attributes to higher
wheat prices. abnormal price situa-
tlons in the flour industry and tech
nical milling conditions.
But to prevent the higher price
ceilings from beirg reflected in re-
tail bread prices. sliCing of bread
for home consumption will be dis
continued to lower expenditures for
machinery and manpoWer, and
similar savings will be introduced
in manufacture, packaging and
distribution.
The Office of Price Administra- =
ton order, effective January 4,
establishes a uniform schedule of
-four prices throughout the country
to replace ceilings which froze in
dividual mill prices at September
2S-October 2 levels.
Secretary of Agriculture Wickard
acting as food administrator. sinful
taneouslv directed elimination of
bread slicing by bakers by January
l8, diScOntinuanCe of the practice
Of some bakers of selling bread to
dealers on consignment, restriction
of the number of sizes and varieties
of loaves made by any baker in E
single week, and discontinuance OF
twisted and cross pan bread by COM
mercial bakers except for certain
religious uses.
Mr. Wickard observed that some
housewives will be inconvenienced'
/ by failure to get sliced bread, but
said he believed they will be glad tc
cut their own bread to prevent {
price increase and aid the war effort
The bread -slicing ban will not ap-
ply during the next so days on the
so-called giant loaves weighing two
pounds and more Moreover, some
provision was expected to be made
for sales of sliced bread to restau-
rants, hotels, war plants and large
institutions
The food administrator also di-
rected enrichment of all CONNER
cial white bread with vitaminS and
minerals. He declared that at pres
ent the maintenance and strength
ening Of nutrition standards are i'm
perative in the interest of national
health and we'll being"
Flour prices were divided into So
called family -four" s"-primarily the
kind sold to housewives IN grocery
Stores-and bakery fours."
On family flours prices will range
from S7.25 to $965 for a 196-pound
barrel, depending on locality. The
price of a barrel of -four in the
District will be 1920.
A complicated zone system was set
up on bakery f1ours, based pri-
marily on such milling centers as
Kansas City. Mo: Minneapolis, the
Seattle-Portland area and various
Gulf Coast and Ohio River points.
Meantime the Agriculture Depart
ment announced that it would sup
port the price of mill feeds-wheat
bran and similar products-at ST so
ton below Government price CELL
ings.
Officials said the purposes of the
price support was to enable flour
millers to pay prices for wheat equal
to the 1912 loan rate level. plus
carrying charges, and turn it into
flour and mill feed for sale under
ceilings set up by the OPA.
Current market prices of mill
(See FLOUR, Page A-16.)