The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-05
WAR GIVES VIENNA
HUGE CHARITY TASK
"PcOple's Kitchcns"and Public
Tea Houses Are Boon to
Thousands.
SHELTERS FOR REFUGEES
ny DIR. WOLF Won soHIERBRAN,

ny DIR. WOLF Won sCHIERBRAND
VIENNA. Aug. 5.-Admirable is one
special trait in the character OF the
Viennese population-they are very
charitable. one does not see many beg
gars in the streets. not even in these
war times. But those one does see oc-
casionally do not have to speak n word.
They simply lift their hands. out
stretched in dumb appeal. and not many
pass them by unnoticed.
The charitable disposition Of the
population has been put to a rude test
since August OF last year. Besides the
clty's own INDECENT people. thousands OF
whom are without work or earnings of
any kind besides the families OF the
innumerable number who went to the
front. there soon came train'oad after
trainload and caravans Of fugitivcs from
Galicia and the Bukow!na after the Rus
slams had occupied those provinces. The
number OF these rapidly increased. and
for many months Vienna was the refuge
OF about 100000.
One day In March | visited several OF
the many "Nolkskuechen' tpeople's
kitchens). One had to buy his checks at
the door and get a tin plate, spoon and
fork. then walk to the kitchen door and
obtain his dish. Then .he sat on a long
bench or at one of the centre tables and
ate his Ali. The prizes were extremely
low, as thus: Portion OF beef, veal.
pork, &c heller t5 cents) pudding.
dumplings. SC. 20 heller vegetables. IL
heller: soup. S heller; coffee, IL heller;
tea. s heller.
sixty ..People's Kitchens"
Everything was all well cooked and
appetiZing. The original prices have been
retained although meats n -four have
risen repeatedly since then, but the por-
tions were always large. | made my
calculations as to cost and found that
the material alone of which the meal
consisted would at retail mean an out
lay of at least double the price. There
are about sixty such peoples kitchens.
managed by women as n labor of love
The materials used are many OF them
donated. Help, rent and light are pro-
vided by the municipal government.
Then there are the soup and tea
places. Portions here are less generous
and meat costs 80 heller. blu other
things cost less than in the other instl-
tutions-coffee but 10 heller and tea -
There are eighty-fve OF these places
Altogether the a~ttendance in both classes
of institutions averages 100000 to l2O.-
600 daily, but in midwinter II passed
these figures considerably. The soup
and tea establishments also are semi
charitable in character, but they are
cleaner and more cheerful. and they were
started more particularly TO help the
war fugitives tide over hard times.
was in one OF these places In the
heart of a district which harbored at
that time probably 10000 Polish 6ail-
clan fugitives. At the desk near the en-
trance sat Countess Tardowska taxing
I'm the nickels and coppers. In a far
corner was n man OF venerable appear
ance wearing a costly fur coat ladllng
his pea soup.
''That is the Mayor of Czortkov.' said
the Countess, whom the Russians
wanted to drag of to Siberia as a hos
tage, and that fur coat Is all he could
take in his flight
There were many cases like ms. nota-
bly, during the fall and winter months.
nv this time two-thirds of the Polish
fugitiyes We returned home or TO what
is left of their homes. for in many. many
cases they have found nothing but black
ened. charred ruins. But there are stu
about 100, 900 Of them in Vienna. and to
these have been added those who iied
from the borderland along ltaly's
frontiers. These recent additions num-
Der some 10000 or 10000, for many
have gone to more southern cities OF
Austria. They make p%olenta. which
costs next to nothing. their staple food
Sh.Iter for Many Thousands.
For all the poorer fugitives, including
those from Galicia and the Bukowlna
and those from the southwestern
frontiers. shelter had to be provided.
All who were unable to provide for
themselves were quartered In otherwise
u%noccupied houses and barracks. Then
the Government stepped in. next the city
and finally the public. The Government
paid each fugitive 20 heller a day.
Later when n famine appeared the
amount was increased several times.
The city spent during the ten months
up to the recovery of Lemberg and
Przemysl about 1000, 900 kronen for the
benefit OF these poor people. a part of II
being in municipal funds, "A part In vol
untary contributions. Then there are
In Viepna established In business and
do!ng well a number of native Galicians.
and these subscribed large sums for the
maintenance Of the fugitives.
understand that some 10000, 900
kronen has been contributed since Sep
TENDER of last year by the people of
Vienna for these fugitives. The news
papers organized special funds. The
Fret PreSse alone collected several mill
ions. Balls and theatrical and amateur
performances were given TO aid these
charities. Princess Pauline Metternlch,
Baroness Bienerth, wife of the Governor
OF Lower Austria Countess Berchtold
nnl nnnn,. nthars of the nrlalncranN MHrA |