The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1914. AN UNSUCCESSFUL VENTURE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 78, 23 July 1914, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1914. AN UNSUCCESSFUL VENTURE.

The recently issued British Consular report for the Dresden district in Germany for the year 1913, says the period has been marked by an economic decline, attended by the usual phenomena of growing unemployment and diminished purchasing power of the population. The growth of unemployment induced the town 'of Dresden to spend over £2,000 in distributing relief, which amounted for the most part to Bid per day. with a further 2d per day for every unprovided chi|d. The receipt of this relief, however, was hedged round by a number of qualifications, such ns that the recipients had to be married men and residents of Dresden, with steady employment for the past twelve months, and had to produce their certificate of residence, their taxpapers,' and their sick insurance books.' They further had to show that their unemployment was entirely due to bad trade, and that they had made efforts through the Labor Exchanges to obtain work. At the same time the prices of commodities continued, on the whole, to rise, especially of meat. Mutton, veal, beef, and even pork rose between four and six per cent. Fish, too, rose in price. A certain relief, however, was afforded by the decline of the price of butter to the extent of about 10 per cent., and a considerable fall in the prices of potatoes (29 per cent.), sauerkraut (41. per cent)., moist sugar ''over lb per cent.), and other similar articles. The dearness of meat, led to a municipal experiment in importing frozen meat from Australia. Two thousand five hundred and four wethers, of the total value of £3070, were imported, but met with but little appreciation. After the first enthusiasm the demand fell off to such an extent that the committee often experienced great difficulty in disposing of the foreign meat at all. This was partly duo to the fact that the importation continued till after the middle of July, and with the setting in of the warm weather butchers ceased to buy foreign meat. The municipality. therefore, stopped the experiment.