Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-09-24
OF WAR IS
FELT N AUSTRIA
Commerce Is Crippled And
Problem of Unemployed Is
~Serious-Country, How
ever, Is Quiet.

Vienna, (via Paris), Sept. 21.-Com-
merce and industry are paralyzed
throughout the dual monarchy. The
stoppage of export has threatened the
ruin of some of the largest industries,
notably the refining of sugar, millions
OF pounds of which are sent annually
to Great Britain, India and other
points. Refiners are e~ndeaVoring to
flnd some means of getting their pro-
ducts to England by direct route.
In order to relieve the financial stress
the government has decided to organ
lze a war credit bank with a capital of
Sl,2o0,00D besides u number of loan in
Sltutlons, so hat the various indus
1rlai enterprises may be carried
through the war.
Numerous suggestions for the boy
cotting of goods coming from hostile
countries, notably England, have met
With scanty support in the most in
fluentlal commercial circles. The
Prague chamber of commerce flatly
refused to enforce such a proposal, say
ing it would be useless at the present
moment besides being very dangerous
to Austrian commercial interests later.
Outside of Vienna AM. Budapest
the whole ceuntry is ~lifeless. 1t is APP
parently denuded of active men and
presents q strange and oppressive quiet.
The great factories are closed. The
streets of the small towns are deserted
save for a few children here and there.
There are scarcely any workers in the
fleldS. Women ere performing the
heaviest tasks, ever to loading of
freight cars.
The trains on most of the lines are
cunning on restricted schedules and
there are few passengers and there are
solitary soldiers guarding the railway
stations, bridges and tunnels. Troops
are seen rarely, all having gone to the
front. Red Cross stations have been
set up at the principal depots and
~stretchers are ready TO receive wound
ed.
The we'll meant hospitality of the
public in supplying travelling soldiers
with delicacies has had an unfortunate
effect ON the peasant soldiers. I'm
accustomed to such fare they consume
1T greedily and become very i'll as a
consequence.
The question of caring for the UNI
employed is assuming serious proper
tons, especially in Vienna and Buda-
pest. Many hundreds have been given
work constructing Notifications along
the Danube in the neighborhood of
Vienna. Hundreds more have been
sent from towns into the country to
work in the fields.
The Austrian peasants are showing
great ingenuity in exploiting the
state. They refuse to pay wages to
oiNSI IIoil tH0 Guy anu leeQ lHelu
miserably, for which they claim 81 q
day from the state for each worker.
The government, however. declines to
yield to such eXorbitant demands.
In Vienna funds are being raised
privately to feed the unemployed, but
the demands are fast becoming intol-
erable since. besides the unemployed
the city is crowded with Galician ref
ugees.
Apart from a certain seriousness
exhibited among thinking people, life
in Vienna pursues much the same
course as before the war. Cafes are
filled and some of the theaters are
open. The imperial court opera anG
the court theater will be opened soor
for performances four times q week
the actors having finally agreed to ac-
cept reduced salaries for a period Of
four months.
Over half the state railway employees
have been called into the army, and
as a consequence, the railway service
has been greatly reduced. Nine hun
dred new men AVE been engaged, but
some time must elapse before they Will
be competent to run the cars.
A large lumber of the police also
have rejoined the army, but the cit,
Is perfectly orderly. So far there have
been no demonstrations against tn,
citizens of hostile countries and there
IS ITO longer an loi guarding
the French and British embassies.
Prices are not much above normal
although an advance which is reported
in the wholesale prices of wheat, bar.
ley and y must soon affect the COS
of flour and bread. The price of pc.
troleum is considerably higher. Man,
refineries have closed and boring op
erations have ceased. Exports of Ga
lician oil to Germany nave increased
because American oil is no longer ar
irving in the usual quantities.