The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-29
GERMAN COST OF
 LIVING IS HIGH Highest Prices in World for Certain Necessities RIOTS BREAK OUT Government Admits That Conditions Border on Famine, But Insists That High Prices Are
 Only Temporary

Berlin. September 2S-Germans are now paying for all kinds of meats wheat. rye and several other necessaries of life prices higher than are paid any where else in the world. Prices are still rising and the per capita consumption of virtually all foodstuffs is falling off. The number of horses slaughtered for meat in Berlin during the first six months of the present year reached 1924 and ex- ceeded the figures for the corresponding period of 1911 by 1463 The Germans ate 4s, 762 tons less of beef in the first half of this year than in 1910, and paid Ss,Ioo,Ooo more for the smaller quantity
 Dressed swine are bringing more than 1s cents a pound at the abattoirs, and more than half of all the meat consumed in the empire is pork Retail butchers have had to pay 22i9 cents pound for dressed beef, and veal is higher. Veal outlets bring from 4S to 6S cents the pound official statistics for the last week of August showed Mannheim pay ing s1250 more per ton for wheat than is paid in the United States, and Si1 more per ton for rye, the chief breadstuh of tho people, than is paid in any other country.
 
 towns of Siesia are being marked by mad riots of people enraged over the high prices exaeted for virtually every thing they must buy. The police have had to guard the dealers in Liegnitz, Glogauer. Jauer. Hirschberg and half a dozen towns more.
 k Faced by these conditions, the gov ernment finally has admitted, through the official North German Gazette" the existence of almost famine prices for virtually all necessities, and especially for meat It still asserts, however. that the period of high prices is only tenn porary and that a normal lower level must soon be reached. Holding, as 1t does, such point of view, the govern ment believes that no legislative or other remedy is needed, and demands for such relief. which are pouring in from every quarter except from the agrarians, are met with the declaration that the econom- ic policy of the nation cannot be altered to meet the situation, which will soon pass.
 Meanwhile there is a rapidly growing discomfort with the governments policy which Is so manifest that it cannot be overlooked nor disregarded. All over the empire the socialists, who represent a good third of the total population, have been holding meetings of protest which have been packed to the doors. The so- cialst faction of the rechstag, the strongest in that body. has petitioned eonvocation of the reichstag and speedy Legislation to open the borders to the free importation of cattle, meat and other necessaries. Scores of city councils have discussed the situation and have either petitioned the government for aid or have established municipal markets, made agreements with butchers and taken other means to afford relief.
 The diet of the Kingdom of Bavaria debated an interpolation looking to a general lowering of abolition of the tarlff rates on necessaries of life Herr von Soden. minister of the interior. answering the interpolation, declared that such ac- ton would have no effect on prices, and furthermore, that it could not be con sidered in any event. since it would mark departure of Germany from the .estab- lished protective policy. The municipal authorities of Frankfort -on-the- Main have addressed a second petition to the gov ernment asking relief from conditions which make 1t all but impossible for the lower classes to get enough to eat.