FOURPENCE FOR A CARROT.

Taihape Daily Times, 28 December 1918, Page 5

FOURPENCE FOR A CARROT.

HAND-iTO-MOUTH EXISTENCE IN PETROGRAD. (>) A telegram to the Paris "Journal" from Petrograd, dated September 20, describes the food situation in the Russian capital. The food cards are issued for four different classes. The first class comprises workmen, the second small employees and female servants, the third officials, and the fourth bourgeois. Rations are extremely small, and often can only be partially distributed. The bourgeois often go away empty handed from the shops, but with money some provisions can be procured. A carrot thus fraudulently purcha?»cl is worth 50 Centies, an onion one franc, a kilogramme oi" potatoes 7 francs, and a cabbage 5 francs. Beef sells at 25 francs a kilogramme, flour at 30 francs, bread at 28 francs, and butter at 45 francs. On the other hand, the workmen send emissaries into the country, who succeed in slightly Improving the supply allotted by the regulations. Curious scenes are observed in the streets, where bargaining goes on for such things as three pieces of sugar, potato balls, or cakes made of sunflower seeds.

Only the Red Guards and soldiers of the new army escape these fearful privations. Meanwhile cafes are multiplied. They are frequented by nouveaux riches, who consume their chocolate at 10 francs a cup and minute cakes at 8 francs apiece.