GERMANY'S RISING PRICES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 135, 21 January 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

GERMANY'S RISING PRICES.

AND RISING DISCONTENT

(A Danish traveller contributes an article to "The Daily Mail,'' detailing the rising cost of necessities in Germany and the growing manifestation of popular discontent.)

On a recent Saturday afternoon, the wage and shopping day of Sorlin'si middle and working classes, business took me to Berlin's leading market hall, tlie Alexander Market. In olden days the Saturday afterneon crowd in the market wa.s very good-humoured. The Berliner, like the Cockney, is famous for his gift of repartee, and g be. An air of coarse jollity used to make the Alexander Market an amusing resort for the student of Berlin life. The Saturday afternoon at the Alexander Market is sadly changed. Market produce is dear raid scanty, and money to buy it is more scanty still, fork, in one form or another, the aforetime almost inevitable Sunday dinner of the Berlin middle and woiking class, was not to be seen at all. Beef, veal, and mutton were poor in quality. Fish, owing to the diu.sNavy's activities in the Baltic and North Sea. was scarce and prohibitive in pr co. Vegetables alone were normal in price and quantity. As I walked through a street leading tu the market hall 1 heard an angry hoilMVwifc expatiate in round Berlin slang on the "dirty robbery" of the farmers, whose rapacity compeHed her to pay 2s lOd. for a pound of butter. Other women gathered round her and shrilly echoed her wrath. The few men in the crowd seemed dully apathetic. HIGH PRICES AND DEPRESSED MARKETS. Winn I entered the depressed Alexander Market and walked round the open stalls I saw at once how prices have further risen s : nce my visit of a few weeks previously. When it is remembered that this is a working-class market it will be realised how great is the pinch of war upon tluit most t;us. ceptible part oi the German, his stomach. Beef, prime cuts, were 2s 6d. to Us, a lb., mutton 2s and upwards. Veal, singularly, was lower in price, but there was little on the market. All the most popular fish such as haddock cod, ling, and flounders were from 10<) per cent, to 150 per cent, above former prices. A further rise in price will now be caused by the regulation debarring flesh fool on two days of v&ek. I searched the market and saw very little poultry. Geese are usually the cheapest and most plentiful of Gorman foods, but the Government regulation forbidden the feeding of live stock with cereals has made poultry rearing utmost impossible. Hares are very popular with the Gere; in housewife, and the Berlin market wr.s in normal times crowded with them. There are very few hares now obtainable, owng to the condtions of German farm tenure. Farmers holding lcs than 300 acres in one block are forbidden by the the German game law.s to shoot over their land. The rabbit is looked upon ;»- inedible in Germany. A FAMINE IX FATS. As regards other food commodities, lard, at 3s. a lb., is costing more than butter, and is still ris ng. Margarine is unobtainable, there being no beef fat, and the import of palm oil tins ceased. Germany's dilemma a- regards edible fats is indeed calamitous. Germany's fruit crop this year was? excellent, but. desp'te this, the prices of fruit have ruled high and jams and marmalades are selling at 1< 3d to Is 'ld pel' lb. They are deficient in finality and are much adulterated witli pumbkins. Sugar lias doubled in price and is now about 4}d per lb. 'l' •• cheapest tea w 4s. per lb., and then scarce. Cocoa is almost unobtainable. Coffee, the general German beverage, is 25., a 100 per cent. rise. These prices are only for the lowest grades. Rice is from Is. to Is 3d. per lb., but you can go into a dozen shops and not get lib. Sago and tapioca are no longer quoted on the market. Currants and raisins a:-? praetical'y unobtainable. Despite the importation of Dutch, Danish, and Swi-s cheese.-; *he prices of all cheese* lias gone up 100 per cent. Condensed m'lk is unoYLr'iinble because Switzerland, the great source of import, depends largely upon Germany for concentrated cattle foods. Milk, like bread, can now only be obtained by ticket, and is then only supplied upon proof of its need for infants or invalids. ILY-TKAPS TO H'HE CUSTOMERS. The only bread in Germany now is the Kriogsbrot (war bread). It is made of 33 per cent. rye. 30 per cent, straw meal, and tin.' ret potato meal. The sale of cakes and pastries is practically forbidden, together with whipped cream. Only Englishmen who have resided in Germany know haw largely tin> pastrycook's .shop fConditorei) enters into the amenities of German life. riven dearer to the German than afternoon tea to the Englisii is tin- German coffee and "ringlet of Sclrllcr." a twisted whorl of pastry tilled with whipped cream. The cost of eoa! is greatly Owing to tlu- absence of fats, soap, formerly 355. the cwt.. is now co-ting (.'•". Candle- are proportionately expensive. Only about half a pint a day of illuin;natinu oil ; s allowe I to be supplied to ( 'i-li family. Shoe-soling leather ]..■- li-•; in three i onths iioiu ;js i'„i. tii s. ;i ill. .\!| ( lothing has gone up some 200 per cent. 11l llorlin I had to pay a pound for a woo'len .-ing!ot ordinarily costing bout K ; ,„d :•< i;d for a '(•;.]) that v.oiild be dear in Knglam! at ~ shilling. A woollen, ~lu,d,b. muffler ~,-t me •'- lid. A corduro\ i.i, s.-t. ,ea<e t ~.,. !'!■!<>■ li-.. cost 25-'. AH elothinii -fork, ■ '■ also depleted. Tin pro Hie ;,dwrt n.'lih'!U- of big < lotliinv and drapery ! 'i..*„ m the <in rent Gentian newsp'liers are mi-b-adine;. Men and > men's attire, parti. u!a.r;> women's I i- advertised at |,ri. e- a- lo'rt a-, and I "■ '-oiiie eases cvii :„v.,t than, those i Iding n I'hlglalld. Ti■, - . advei hse- ! ■ 11 ts are Hy-trap- to I: i. , • .;,>,;„ ,-,. "WE Ab'K siii.D |:| t • M\ Wife aceoiup HI ' ■! rile ill 111 \ re ■ ( fit tour, and in arU ;;l\.a> - w hen -ie \ i-rtised in the morning's papers, she !,.' t W itil tile 1111-llCi' ' " \\'f mvo s-nll' i Will not forecast what effect this ortage and dearth-- oi all ti■,• neees- I -■tu-s of life will have upon 11.. ,\ar en I durance of the Gorman pom,!, I have s mply stated facts that oxi-!. Thee '- (erta'iily n now unhiildi n popular I •;'--filltent, whereas onl\ a few months j •''-;o people did not dare v., •,. theli r.puiioiis. In M., ,bit and the binds- ' "' r ffr Alice Berlin workin -,-!.,-s i].',. ' . t'l ts, there have In e|l ■!.' on t.a"on"