The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-07-27
wan AND room rRloEs.
TT o SHOW something of The cf'
feet Of the European war upon
y -n.t 81 nnInr -anIInrrlrr the

CfatN NtiNtANiHh VI tt -
feet Of the European war upon
cost OF swing. following the
outbreak OF hostiiities in August.
1914. In the purpose OF Bulletin No
if0. of the bureau Of labor statistics,
department Of labor. just issued un-
der tho title Foreign Food Prices "a
Affected by the War" Much OF the
information OF the report was oh
tanned through the consnlRr service
Of M department OF tate, and in
the main covers h period from Au-
gust to December. 1914. Prices are
given for rs countries and repre-
sentcd by reports from over 100
cities. towns ard consular districts.
The report shows hat the first cf-
feet Of the war was the same prac-
ticaily throughout Europe. Its out
break was followed by o sharp rise
in prices. due mainly q panic and
uncertainty. In some countries leg
gslatiye measures were At once taken
to check this rise. In others the
governments strictly adhered To a
hands-on policy aud trusted To the
natural course OF events for readjust-
ment. Within a fortnight the first
panic was over. aud, except in the
actual war zoro. prices begar 20 fall.
In most places. however prices ala
not drop 10 'he July level and after
an interval again o o an upward
mrn. which has probably not set
reached ~ climax
Administrative and legislative
measures 10 check the rise in cost 81
necessarics were very generally taken.
Denmark. Egypt, Great Britain, Italy.
Russia. spain "A Turkey prohibited
the export ef practically al food
stufis. France. Norwh. and sweden
listed certain articles which must not
be exported. n Holland placed an
embargo on butter ana cheese.
Some governments, while allbwing
the local authorities "a ry prices on
most thirFs. issued decree npplioa-
bic 10 their whole territory concern
lng "a few highly important articles.
Thus. Austria and Germany both pro-
scribcd the proportion Of wheat 81
rye flour hat should ho used Ia max
Ing tread. Later both Austria and
! Germany fixed the wholesale price
81 cereals. and brought the distrihu.
ton and consumption of flour anc
bread under strict control. Turkcl
! fixed prices for petroleum, 3 an'
hour. In Italy salt. tobacco and
matches are government mOnopolics
so that thoir prices were fixed by ih'
central authority Denmark. Holland
and switzerland limited themselves a.
controlling the most important bread
stuff OF each country.
The importance and full sigulf-
canoe in the increases in prices which
occurred would not bc inirly present.
ed without reference TO the fact that
Increased cost OF living. snd especial.
IS the increase in food prices. has foi
several years been q question OF Ser
iols concern in practically an OF the
European countries. The upward
movement In prices prior to the wal
had In fact hccn worldwide An m
quiry Of the British hoard Of trade IN
1879 showed Increases IN food prices
In various countries over prices In
1900 ranging from Is per cent IN
Great Britain and France to i6 per
cent In Australia. 70 80 per cent IN
Germany, 90 32 por cen In belgium,
ana 30 per cent Ia Austria. In cam
ada ana in "a" United stotos the in
crease shown was even greater than
the highest Of these figures. Thus.
II will Dc seen hat the Increased
prices directly due 20 the war, com
ing as the elimination Of e. long per-
iod 81 increases. arc much more seri-
Gus 90 the masses Of the population
than the mere figures indicate, II II
! obvious. too. that the increases of the
first four 10 elk months represented
only the beginning OF tho wars effect
on the cost of living.