Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-09-12
NEWsY GOSSIP From NATIONAL CAPiI@


WAttlNUiON, sept. 10 Scull-
oticisl dispatches OF a thoroughly re.
liable nature state that matters In
Continental Europe are in d mighty
bad way, 30 far az high food prices
are concerned; 80 we see that the
United States has not by any means
a monopoly In that most iundesir-
able direction. Cablegrams from
Berlin, for instance, say: Another
increase in food prices has placed the
principal staples OF meat, -four, and
potatoes at the highest figure Of q
half century. ~
MANY municipalities, believing
that Germany il confronted with a
hard winter for the poorer classes
If these prices continue, are already
taking. steps to be In a position to
afford relief. Tho executive com.
mittee of the Socialist party has is
sued calls for general mass meetings
in all parts OF Germany and for the
converting Of the Reichstag at once
to provide some measure of relief.
They charge that prices which no
workingman IA pay are causing un.
told suffering, due largely to food
usurers. They demand that duties
be reduced or removed. in order to
permit the importation OF American
meat products. The prices Of meats
are unprecedented. t
Hams are 81 to AZ cents a pound;
porterhouse steak, 81 cents: ordi-
nary veal, IS cents: veal steak. So
cents: and pork chops. 40 cents a
pound. Wheat -four is 9 and 10
cents and up a pound.
"The agricultural chamber of the
Rhine Province, a body legally con-
stituted to gather information for
the German government on agrcul.
tural matters, has been studying how
the %peasantry lives. 1t publishes the
family budgets OF 30 peasant fam.
lilies with yearly incomes ranging be.
tween SAT- and 1920. About two.
thirds of them had the higher figure
and owned small farms of from 10 to
AZ acres .s.rst .,. .r.l,. .n... sac.
1T was found. that the average
daily consumption of potatoes by the
80 families was nearly 31.3 pounds
for each person, whereas the con-
sumption of meat was less than 5
ounces; of butter 1.13 ounces, and
slightly more than one pint Of milk,
Of which almost half was skim milk
Or buttermilk. - 70 s s@
THE most important article of
diet after potatoes was bread. OF
which each person consumed nearly
IA % ounces daily, besides 4 ounces
Of -four. The only other article OF
food mentioned in the report was
eggs, of which each person. ate one
about every fourth day"
1t must be mentioned for the
proper appreciation OF these figures
that the Rhine Province is one Of the
richest agricultural provinces of Ger.
many, and that the people living
therein are far from being among
the poorest folk in the Fatherland.
been publishing in Berlin the fam.
lily budgets OF Silesian miners. which
show that they eat almost no meat
at all, and he small quantity consum.
ed is chiefly horse-nesh.
O~ld-fashioned courtesy In letter
writing Is hereafter to be tabooed in
the United States army, for a new
system" Is now going into effect
that drums out of the army the
words. respectfully" Sir" II have
the honor. etc."I would respectfully
very respectfulfy;r respectfully re.
ferred," respectfully transmitted"
respectfully forwarded" and ere
spectfully returned" i
: At the head Of each letter it will
be stated by whom and to whom the
letter is written and the subject
thereof. Officers signing will put
only their names, without titles, etc,
as all those are given in the heading.
Other radical short cuts and reduc-
tons in the army's letter writing
have been effected by the new sys-
TEN, which Is expected to prove a
great economy of the time of officers
and clerks, as well as a saving Of a
considerable sum of money each year.
Methodist mission secretaries are
at work making public data showing
that Methodist churches in! their
b%enevolence are depending on wom-
en- and children, while, the men and
the churches have not in fully 80
years increased their gifts e. penny.
Indeed, the charge is made that with
out the support given by wome and
children Methodist mission, extets-
ion, education, Sunday School Board,
and conference claimant funds would
be bankrupt. Methodist collectiona
for benevolences from women and
children foot up $l,851, 900 a year,
while the churches give $1,699, 900. II
On the basis Of these figures many
Methodists are %clamoring for an in.
crease in the apportionments Of an.
nual allotm ents OF the amounts ex-
pected. The leaders are replying that
such increase means greater demand
on the willing people, and that the
thing to do is to compel those who.
do not pay their appointment to do
80 in full. Twelve leading confer
ences are mentioned that were ask
ing last year for $S2S;OO0 and give
only $5O7, 900 or 100000 short. "a
A new burden is put upon the
Methodist mission boards this year
through the absorption of the City
Union. which, has been a Methodist
agency of some years that tried to
evangelize cities. Its method has
been, not to raise aud expend money,
but to agitate the necessity for relief.
Now tho work is taken Nxnr -hH fhe