The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1915-11-27

part VI 0Cl bldhc OAh Al
number complaints of the ever
mounting cost of living especial
ly of eating = and coupled with
them more and more frequently the
charge that the middleman is to
blame, and that speculation, not
shortage of food, is responsible for
lacking up prices to an unprece-
dented height.
Scarcely a day goes by but the
food question is aired in at least n
refutes the charge that he is at fault
quite as regularly as it is made, with
the result, as the Tageblatt said, that
the more earnestly that rue ex.
PLANTATION is sought, the more mud
died becomes the whole subject.
Butter has been the latest com"
modify to go up. 1t had reached a
three-mark-a-pound (55 cents) fig
ure and was advancing daily when
the authorities stepped in and an
chored the price at two marks, so
pfennigs, where it still remains.
There is, further, a strong agitation
for the government seizure of all
butter, just as grain and other
things have been seized and then
dealt out equitably and systematic.
ally.
One reason for this agitation is
see in South Germany, where a
physician reports that the largest
creamery in his district is paying the
farmers at the rate of LAO marks
for ten liters of milk that are nee
essary for one pound of butter and
is selling the product wholesale a
company refused to sell any of its
butter at home, but for months had
been selling all it could make t. the
north. An additional profit came
from the buttermilk.
October is the rabbit season in
Germany, and it had been antici-
pated that this year particularly, as
the people were in need of this I'M
usually inexpensive, yet appetizing
food. When the season opened,
however, it wax found that rabbits
were scarce instead of plentiful and
were to be had only at prohibitive
prices, ranging from $50 to Z
marks ($1.37 to $1.75).
1t was charged that the middle
man was holding back the supply
with intent to increase the prices,
but that charge is met by the asser-
ton that the number of hunters this
year is smaller than ever before and
the number of rabbits shot is cor
respondingly smaller. Hence, by
the law of supply and demand, pric-
es have gone up. 1t is also pointed
out that ammunition, guns and
equipment for the hunt are dearer
than ever.
The recent experience of a Berlin
banker indicates that there may be
some truth in the charges against
the middlemen. He purchased a
pullet in a Berlin game store at 3.75
marks a pound, his protest being met
with the assertion that it was i'm
possible to retail the bird for less.
Yet the next day he found he was
able to buy a similar fowl in a SUI
to the chef in a big Berlin restaurant
and was assured that in weight.
quality and every other particular
the two were identical.
In the mining country of western
Germany the four largest assOcia-
tions of miners, numering thousands
of members, have felt it necessary uo
petition the imperial government u
make it impossible for the well-to-
do to buy up at prohibitive prices all
the available meats and fats. Theil
petition reads:
Lately the quantity of meat and
fats offered for sale so far as the
great mass of the poorer people is
concerned, has greatly decreased.
Partly the war is responsible, but IL
is plain also that the food is being
withheld for speculative purposes.
with the decreasing quantity Of
fered, prices for the foods have ris-
en- enormously. The poorer part or
the population can no longer allow
themselves the enjoyment of meat at
all. If the ~unfavorable develop
ments are not soon checked, they
will not be able to have fats either.
That portion of the population which
is financially better off is buying up
all available meat and fat at any
price because it is unwilling to do
without them.
"Such a development is bound to
have the most unfavorable conse-
auence for u people and our eco
Monies. Man needs a certain amount
of fat for his nourishment. Es-
pecially for that portion of the peo-
pie which does heavy physical labor
is fat indispensable for replacing ex.
pended physical strength in order