New-York tribune., 1915-03-14
PRICE OF FOOD
SCARS in VIENNA
More than Fifty Arrests
for Secret Speculation
in Supplies.
CHILDREN TRAINED
TO TILL FIELDS
co,ernmcnt Distributing Seeds
and Farming Machinery
10 Aid Crops.

vcr,,c March IS. Intelligence
hing here from Vienna shows that
..ov articles Of daily food have more
.,sr doubled in price IN the Austrian
.,.,sl since the war began. and that
.,o,, has been a secret speculation IN
s.o3stufs which has aroused the m
I.cTation Of the people IN both Vienna
- "a Budapct and caused more than
fftv arrests.
Tbc government is doing all II pos
M. cs, 10 secure labor 20 harvest the
Soy; S,,y cror. To this end all school chill
5.or from twelve 10 fourteen years o.
90 % have been excused from attend
So, a. school and are being drilled Tor
me WORK ahead Of them.
authoritative quotations of r."
Vienna markets disclose the fact that
soYr now costs ) cents q pound and
.ss. dried peas are II cents a pound,
.omnarcd % cents last July. Split
80 now cost > cents and lard 40
.erts pound. which is double the
.,;cc they wer- selling for when war
as declared. Eggs bring and !
.sr,s aniccc. compared TO their former
,-ice Of cents each. Beef IS selling
i,or1 o6 20 so cents pound. wnlle
,,rk brings from - 10 30 cents. The
.,nsumption OF horScfeSh IS steadily
.rcrcasinc. To-day it costs from 10 to
is cents a pound. compared 10 cents
last summer.
Sugar. thanks 20 the beet product,
las risen very little IL now costs
or o cents pound. which IS only
t.lf cent more than before the war.
Bread has gone up considerably. and
-ou. cos-s from : TO l. cents for q
,wo.porrd loaf The quality leaves
,rcb 10 be desired. aS IL Is only 90
nov eoot -four The remainder IS Il
nivturo Of meals made from corn.
harley and potatoes. The Vienna bak-
ers famous for their excellent bread,
IN not seem TO have learned how TO
mix these ingredients adySntageouSly.
Petroleum is quoted nj 50 cents a gal
lon. II cos. 96 cents last July. Soft
rool has risen by $40 a ton. and Il Is
6hcul, TO obtain AZ any price.
Next 10 her efforts m the neid OF
war Austria-HunEary is now devotng
Aer greatest energies 10 agriculture.
An announcement put out by the gov
eminent on the subject OF labor says;
"If We can obtain sufficient labor the
rev. harvest is assured.
The war having robbed the country
OF most of IFS able-bOdied men, tens
of thousands OF boys and girls have
hecn released from the schools, and to
cether with The married women they are
are being pressed into service. BY Spe-
rial decree Of the Austrian Ministry all
children between twelve and fourteen
Years of age are excused from school
work.. and this host Of child labor Is
being organized Systematically like an
army The older boys are acting as
officers The purpose is TO send these
rounc people ont into the fields in or
oer 10 secure the best possible results
e the agricultural regions, where labor
most needed.
Certain peasant laborers i'm the rural
districts not serving In the army have
been unwilling 20 work at the old
wages. They demanded higher pay.
This made necessary legislation where
by they are now being compelled TO
labor AZ the old wages.
By distributing seeds and agricult-
a4al 4IaN il.Ilf4 Ai4t bpfN 4Aii4NiAN 44"'
done all in its power 10 stimulate
farming. and IL is hoped that the next
harvest viii not be much below the
normal.
It is alleged in both Vienna and
Budapest that many refugees from
Galicia who have money are employ
,ng their funds on speculation in food
s;1fs. Not only are the people indig-
rant bur the authorities as well. EX-
plotting the necessities of the small
siorekecpcrs and the consuming pub
lie is regarded as a poor return for
The shelter and hospitality offered 10
The tens OF thousands Of the half
starving fellow countrymen of these
Gaicians.
This traficking in food supplies is
carried on in secret. chiefly in the
coffee houses Through agents sent TO
ne provinces large stores of food are
bought and retailed at eXorbitant
prices 10 storckeepers. As these agents
we're carrying on business without
proper trade licenses they are being
prosecuted