The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-08
FTNTNG room PRICES IN ROME.
Ctty Authorities Resort 20 q Device Tries
by the POpes Centuries Ago.

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City Authorities Resort to . Device Tried
by thc POpes Centuries Ago.
ROME. Nov. 2s.--During the last year the
! cost Of food In Rome has risen to such an
sxtent that the municipality has decided to
appoint a commission TO fx a scale OF prices
which will regulate the market and be
adopted by ali the butchers and produce
merchants Of the city. The commission is
composed of Representatives OF the Chamber
OF Commerce. the local press and prominent
citizens. and il is digniRed by the name OF
Calmiere OF Cslmer.
Tie practice Of regulating prices by law
is not by any mean new in Rome.
Il was successfully followed during Pspsl
times. As early as 1906 Pope julius ii.
appointed an official as president Of the
Ammonia, whose sole duty wa to oversee
the sale of grains and forage.
The Pspal States at this time were free
from taxes and duties. and IL was only In
the reign of Clement VII. in 1925 that q
slight tax was levied on -four. whSch had
soon to be removed owing to tho discomfort
Of the people, Two years later. after tho
sack OF Rome by Charles Of Bourbon. when
famine held the and in Its grip. the value
Of money was augmented considerably and
In consequence all the necessaries Of life
became 90 dear that Cardinal spinol@ by
order OF Clement VII. appointed a Calmiere
in 1920 90 prevent the tavern keepers on the
road outside St. Johns Gate from charging
exorbitantly for the wine Of the Casteli
Romani.
No sooner was this trouble disposed Of
than an increase in rents later caused Paul
II. TO issue a decree ordering landlords TO
reduce their rents under punishment of fine
and imprisonment. During the famines of
1857. 1859 and 1882 tho president Of the
Ammonia distributed grain and -four and
avedm many from dying Of hunger.
About this time the Pope issued n bull
by which he fixed the price of grain in Rome
at seven scudi a bushel. and he caused spies
to be vent TO the different. grain merchants
and discovered that considerable quantities
we're kept hidden. These he coufiscated and
stored for free distribution 20 the poor.
Pope Sixtus v. created the society known
as Abundantes. a commission composed
Of five Cardinals. with a capital Of 200. 900
sCudi. for the purpose Of providing for the
poor during hard times. In his will he
begged his successor TO continue this good
work.
Evidently his wish was not respected, or
else the merchants succeeded in cornering
NAAo NAh@A E"O VI
Gregory XIV. Rome again suffered from
famine. Tn price OF grain rose from
seven scudi to thirty. and in consequence
the number Of poor who died Of hunger
was coon. Il was not until after Gregory's
death that a new Calmiere was established.
Innocent TX. ordered the farmers TO bring
into town all the corn and gram which they
had stored away. IL was a hard blow for
the merchants. but a boon FOR the people.
During the pontificate Of the Barberini
Pope. Urban VIII. the Offices Of president
Of the Ammonia and OF the Grascia were
reestablished. with this difference. that now
they had the power Of punishinE those who
tried to raise the price OF grain. and they
price for fo~odstuff9. Tho president Of the
Ammonia supervised the sale Of the grain and
fodder. while the head Of the Grascia looked
after the meat, oil and other groceries.
Every year they issued a list Of prices
which the shopkeepers were bound to adhere
TO or suffer the consequences of fine and
imprisonment. This state OF affairs lasted
but a short time. as In the following year the
merchants gained the upper hand and high
prices again reigned.
H. was not until the pontificate Of PINS vi. |
that the old system OF regulating the price Of
food by law became thoroughly operative.
In 1852 the Pope ordered rigorous measures
against the bakers who defrauded people
by giving them false weight and poor quality
% bread. The Cardinal Camerlengo issued
in that year a decree ordering that the pane
a baiocco.' a halfpenny loaf. should be Of
good quality and full weight and that all
bakers had 10 provide il FOR sals under a
penalty Of ten scudi.
n French conquerors by their extrava-
CANT wsstefulness depleted the resources
Of the Eternal City 20 such IN extent that in
1901 the city again suffered from a famine Of
meat and oil. h butchers were forced to
give periodically ten out OF every 100 head
Of cattle to save the people from starvation.
IL was necessary a few years later to re-
adjust the tariff. and in 1900 a new list Of
prices was issued.
From these few facts IL can be seen that
the idea OF adjusting the prices not only Of
meat but also of all other edibles is not
original. IL remains to be seen whether at
the present day u II will attain the success il
had in the earlier times OF the Por "a