The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-22
GERMANY'S POOR
HAVE HARD TIME
Remarkable Figures of Statis-
tical Office
INTERESTING EXAMPLES
Eight Hundred Families With Various
Incomes Keep Itemlzed Accounts
of Their Receipts and Ex-
penditures.
BY MALCOLM CLARKE.

berlln, august Zl.-(Speclal.) -f1oW peO-
pie of small means have to struggle for
existence in modern Germany is illus
trated by the remarkable figures, just
published by the imperial statistical office.
A year ago the office caused 500 families
In different parts of the empire to keep
systematic account of their incomes and
disbursements Every family received an
account book In which it was requested
to keep an itemized record of the money
spent on food, clothing, fuel, medical at
tention. presents, educationa, amuse-
ments, ETC.
teacher and his wife, without children,
whose income was $725, contrived to save
$50. Another teacher and his wife spent
1856. Their deficit was caused by their
spending SIPS for food and 81 more for
entertainment than the other teacher
A cabinet maker and his wife with one
child years of age, earned $3.50 and lived
on $40 A painters apprentice and his
wife, also with a child of 9, earned $3.50
and spent s445.
married policeman with two children
of 10 and 16 had an income of $3.50 and
saved $95, while married clerk with two
children, aged A and 8, earned $3.50 and
ended the year with a deficit of $57 80.
widower with two children and one
servant girl earned $500 and spent $40
more than his income This family spent
over $3.50 on sports, amusements and en-
tertainment. A married couple with three
children, the father being brewery
workman, earned $40 and saved s37 So
The family spent only s167 so on food.
The account books sent in by the vari-
Gus families revealed that in order to ac-
complish the above results the most Spar
tan economy was required. The statistics
attract special interest in view of the
new internal revenue taxes on various
commodities which will shortly come into
effect, making articles such as tobacco,
cigars, cigarettes, coffee, tea, sugar,
matches, beer, cognac and gas nantes
dearer.
The abnormal dimensions of the hat
pins used by ladies have moved the DO
lice of Hanover to issue the following
edict: For some time many people have
been Inconvenience, and even wounded,
by hatpins. The police point out that
persons using such pins contravene the
law regarding safety on the public high
way, and are consequently liable to
prosecution. Furthermore, the penal
code provides that persons so injured can
claim compensation In the interest of
the ladies the police recommend them to
discontinue using long hatpnts.
The Kaiser has expressed a wish that
soldiers of the German army should de-
vote more time to football a means of
increasing their agility. Instructions
have been given that their gymnastic
exercises shall be altered as to in
clude football training.
curious bigamy case is reported from
Neustadt, on the Haardt. The wife of
a shoemaker named Braun suffered from
a malady which was stated to be incur
able. She was confined in an institution,
and her husband obtained a divorce.
after being confined for six years the
wife contrary to all expectations, re-
covered from her illness and was set at
liberty. The unfortunate shoemaker
now finds himself compelled to seek an
other divorce, so that his first wife may
resume her place near her children.
There Is a touch of humor in the tele-
gram in which Herr BALM announces
his intention of calling the next big
steamer of the Hamburg American line
Furst Won Cuelow,'' in honor Of the cham
cellor, who neither could nor would
carry on a policy hostile to trade such
as finds expression in the new taxes on
industry and commerce"
The taxes in question were pushed
through both the reichstag and the bum
'desrat under the CHARACTERISTIC and re-
sponsibility of prince Buelow, and he him
self has just admitted in a press inter-
view that, as was pointed out In your
columns months ago, the real reasons
which rendered his resignation imperative
were the triumph OF the Center and the
utter impossibity of declaring war on
the conservatives by dissolution of the
reichstag against them.
from Stendal which attracts wide atten-
ton. At an early hour this morning a
revolver shot was heard in that portion
of the barracks of the Tenth Hussars
which is occupied by one-year volunteers
and young cadets in training for commits
sons. Men hurrying to the spot found a
volunteer named Baumgart naked in the
corridor outside room occupied by
cadet named Won Zeuhme.
On entering the room of tho latter, its
inmate was found naked in bed with a
bullet wound through his brain. The idea
of suicide is out Of the question, as the
wound was inflicted from behind. Baum
CART has been arrested, but for the pres
emit he refuses to offer any explanations.
The two young men were known to have
been close friends who, with their COM
panions had passed the greater part of
the night In drunken orgy. The mill
tary authorities have ordered searching
inquiry to be made.
The discovery of the conservator OF
the Eastern cemetery at Munich of
some human bones in the debris taken
from a crematorium Is explained to-
day.
A few year sage a cremation society
was formed at Munich. But Munich be-
ing an intensely Catholic city, the
church refused the last honors to in
clnerate bodies, and the government
withheld It's authorization to establish
a crematorium. Those in favor Of Gre
nation had, therefore, to leave instruo-
lions in their will that their bodies
should be sent to Ulm and Jena.
The supporters of cremation in
Munich however, would not be beaten,
and had q crerllat orinm constructed all