Evening journal., 1915-06-22
WAR BREAD IS NOT
Forced upon Dutch
System Adopted AS Philan-
, thropy For the Poorer
Class
BAKERS GREW RICH
OFF WORLD WAR

AMSTERDAM, June 22.-"Govern-
ment bread" and bread cards on
June / this year became an institu-
tfon in Holland for the period OF the
war. from which the people of the
Netherlands suffer much while only
looking on. The Dutch. however. are
not compelled TO eat government
bread. nor TO take bread cards, nor
restrain their appetites by order. The
system here is based on the philan-
thropic principle and its Introduction
does not imply any fear of shortage
Of -four or bread.
The idea of issuing bread cards
arose owing to the ever-increasing
number OF people IN Holland whose
resources have been reduced since war
broke out in Europe. The drafting
into the army Of thousands Of the
bread-winners in preparation to de-
fend Holland against any attack on
her neutrality and the decreased op-
portunities for those who remained at
home of finding employment as a Sc
uue to the lack of raw materials IN
various trades have rendered the poor,
as a rule. poorer. while those per-
SONS possessed of means have become
Weather since they have been able
90 take advantage of opportunities of
making profit by laying out their cash
Bankers Made Money.
Immediately after the beginning Of
hostilities the Dutch Government
requisitioned all grain and since then
imported grain has been consigned
to it. Many bakers took advantage Of
this fact and the price of bread In
Holland has risen enormously since
August This increase naturally has
hit the laboring class more than any
other class of society. as manual
workers always consume a larger pro-
portion of bread than do more we'll
to-do people.
In order TO allay some of the dis
content of the poor brought about by
the increased cost of their prime nee
essary the government recently re-
ouested the municipalities all over the
country to ask the bakers in their
various districts to indicate whether
they were willing to make and sell
whole-wheat bread at approximately
2 10 American cents a pound instead
of nearly 6 cents. the usual store price
at this moment. Large numbers of
bakers agreed TO 10 so under the i'm
pulse of a proposal by the govern
crushed wheat through the municipal
tiles at a price averaging 9 forms
1850 per 100 Kilograms or about 22C
American pounds. r. price varies
considerably in different places, ac-
cording to the cost Of labor and fuel
In Vlaardingen. for instance. 1t is
only forms (S2.S0), while in Roer
mond il is 13 forms so cents (S5.40)
The condition attached is that thI
bakers furnish pure whole whea
bread. 10 which may be added onl!
yeast, salt and water From every 10I
kilograms of whole wheat the hakerl
may make 140 Kilograms of brea,
which they sell for 1850 forms Csc
.72D
Sold Very Cbeaply.
The bread is sold at the low prize
Of 9 IL American cents a pound t
families which apply to the local au
thorities for bread cards No restric
lions are placed on the amount o
money earned by a family which de
ulres a bread card but only one pcInl
of bread is furnished daily for eacl
person over years old belonging Il
the family.
The extent of the poverty in tn
towns may be judged from the fac
that many thousands Of families hav
applied for bread cards. In Amster
dam. for example, nearly 10000 famil
bread cards have been issued. in Rot
terdam 10000, in The Hague 1000
and in Leyden. $4,000.
Before the war the normal price q
white bread in Holland was IS Dutc
cents (iust over z American cents
per klogram. or a little over tw
American pounds; now it is 2S Dutc
cents or over II American cents.