IMPRESSIONS OF GERMANY.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 May 1923, Page 4

IMPRESSIONS OF GERMANY.

(By an Australian AVoinan). Having resided in various parts of Germany since September of 1022, I should like to give my impressions gathered during that time. The first part of my visit was spent at Sehnialkalden, an old-fasioiicd township of about 10,000 inhabitants. This place is situated in the mountains of Thuringia, and, similar to many other, townships, is the scat of a very large number of wlmt are called house industries. When I first arrived at Schmaikalden 1 found it difficult to believe that so beautiful and romantic a spot was actually an extensive manufacturing centre just as one would he ama/.ed if told that Pymble, Turraimirra, or any other equally charming place of residence contained hundreds of workshops. I did not fully realise the extent of these industrial concerns mrcil I. had occasion to visit Cologne. .My train from that city arrived at Sehnialkalden at midnight, and to my astonishment I found the railway platform filled with hundreds of hareheeded. chattering gills, their ages ranging from about lb to 20 years. My escort informed me that as most, in fact, he thought all, of the workshops were working at full speed, these gills represented a midnight shift returning either to or from their work of the regulation eight hours. I must remind my readers that this incident occurred in November ol last year, when rumours of the French occupation of the Built' were regarded as so much "hot air.” At the present lime, instead of these factory employees working 2! hours, in shifts of eight hours, nuniv are content to work halftime, which means, of course, wage* in proportion In time ol labour. Ihe firesent abnormal lluetuation ol German etinonev i' causing foreign buyers to mark time, hoping for a still turiher fall of I lie mark;. Official rate of exchange to-day being 20(1,DIM).

In proportion to the depreciation of currency prices rise, and the dismay of the German housewife is easy to imagine, v. hen she finds that the price of butter, margarine, milk, eggs, meat, and bread is beyond her reach, the sole food to-day February, 102.1) of many thousands of German children being potatoes and a very inferior quality

black !»icad. 1 made a point of tasting tills bread; it is not by any means unpalatable, but one does not need to lie an expert to detect the very large proportion of potatoes among file impedi.uits employed. On January It) the German Government declared that the minimum wage upon which a workman, wile, son ol It), •ind giil el 0. could exist, was 12b,000 mark' pel month. A fortnight later lilJ.tiiiD marks were necessary. On I Id' later date. .January 2!i, file mark | ;,t .: ) I.t'ilii :ij the* English pound. To realise the inadequacy of the amount considered a living wage tor a man to support a family of four my embers are asked to remember that I!MI mm month is tS.OOO per week, .... hi'-!, means |g.(.".!!) for each individual. (Sn oiler the following prices: Holler. biibO marks per lb : milk, AID marks par litre a little over our ipiart); ma.gurine. .'!>:)() marks per lb;

black bread, lot 10 marks per loaf. The same broad may be obtained tinaii application for ticket issued by Government lor 72b marks. In such cases it i< ucows'ury to prove that Llie applicant is iii receipt of a cm lain wag"

v- liit-li justifies sm-’i a] ll >l i< :iti<ni. 'I ieket s t-na!’!,■ a man In obtain one loaf lor each jj}.■ 111 1:i■-r of In- hnii.'ohohl weekly. Small roils ::i a kill loeioi ai;e -V) mark.' oni-li, !■;;:< -‘<ii marks each. The cheniiosj ni 'al i' 220 D marks per Hi. or with- (} a I hone 2'-b,l j um* Ih. Ti ue lowest price ;il wliii h household soap -end here we lie,l the cleanly German hoie-ewile very 1 eavilv hit is lo he bought is oDD marks per eake. There are many oth.ei art iele.s whose urines are equally hiryli ! mention the essentials. A pair of very inferior shoes costs :{!,l,0!KI mark'; a |mor quality of serge dress lU.dtKl marks: mending of shoes It-, in IK 100 marks. These prices c a vcv some idea ol the diifieiih:-s i i.ermnu people art' existing. and, I, in i-iinil. these prices soar from p.o tii day. liven since starling this !, , : ■ r mo,it. has iunmed to bl!ob marks p . Ih at; I tie meet h\ t o means of t i e I test qu.tllty. yi another burden- ll.e harden of fear niis'd !.. Ih' l-’i-c-Jlfh atlviimo in the jhhr. Xete iiusue.'S increases from day I, day. 'rile Chancellor, Or (’into, exerts his intliicucc and advises restraint. !'■.:-11 XOiionttlist papers—the "Tap:." for ills!mice--proclaim the necessity oi t! e Gormans. more e-n-eially in [lie e eup'ed d’siriets, preserving calmness of attitude. The "Tap" reminds ih' readers of the saying that victory goes ie the man tvlm manages to keep Id' n rve live minuies longer than Ids adversary. 'lke Chancellor condemn', anything in t! e shape ol a patriotic demonstration ai the pre-sou critical lime. Kvcn Ihe (■ r• 11 ; ;11 national anthem he considers likalv tii he inllammalory. "Better." 1 e says, "to 'hoot a Cerman who kills ." Ci'eni-hnian Ilian to shoot a Kreneliman, iherchy providing the invader wiili an opportunity of killing our