Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-03
MAKE PROFIT
WHICH IS NOT mn. III,

Inc court ruled that under the law
this was an ofense. because the sale
ana resale of the articles had been
made by the defendants with n profit
To which they were not entitled. having
added neither to the value of the ar
ticles. nor facilitated their distribution
They had. in fact. found the Judge. rem
dered distribution more difficult nv
holding the articles for certain time.
The defense was that the accused
mad acted within their constitutional
rights by buying and selling rs they
had done. and that they had not hamp-
cred distribution. because they had at
all times been ready to sell But the
prosecution obliged the defendants to
make the admission that they had held
for higher price. whereupon the court
found that this was now an offcnse.
because to hold necessities for the gain
ing OF profit. through the operation OF
the law Of supply and demand" was
Illegal
Heavy penalties of imprisonment and
fi;fes were imposed upon the three
dealers.
Austria did not always have such q
law Taking this view of economies is
distinctly result OF the war-the spirit
that nobody shall gain ut the cxpense
OF the other when the other" is like
~ 10 be at the front, riskinr his life
for his country and leaving his family
In Strengthened circumstances. perhaps.
To deal for profit" has become a
very dangerous and Improbable enter
prise in Austria to-day. But the Hum
Sarian government which hitherto hns
not been oblired TO concern itself much
with this problem, is also beginning to
act. Hungary has greater food re-
sources than Austria, and for this rea
son spectators have not found so good
a field there. Foodstuffs have been 80
relatively plentiful there that so far.
for instance. it has not been thought
necessary to regulate the consumption
OF bread by means of n bread card al
most universally used in Austria
Contrary TO opinions generally held
in Interior affairs, Austria and Hun
gary have nothing in common. On this
account. Hungary is now improving her
own "antispeculation laws"
PROVIDES BIG PENALTY
FOR IT'S VIOLATION
Before the Hungarian Diet, now i'm
session. is Il hill, introduced by the Hum
Sarian Minister of Justice, according
to which no person outside Of n trade
or industry, or without the special per-
mission Of the authorities. may buy or
sell. for purposes of gaining profit
through speculation, any foodstuff or
other necessity OF life. This means
that only miller may buy grain and
only Il baker -four, and then no more
than what he will need for the require
ments of his own business The bill.
which is sure to pass. provides a maxi
mum penalty of two years imprison-
mcnt and fine OF 10000 crowns. An
other bill. from the same source pro-
vides for n penalty OF three years i'm
prisonment and fine of 10000 crowns
for the person who willfully "destrovs
or depreciates the quantity and quality"
of foOdstuffs. Persons convicted of
this offense may also ne deprived for
three years of all civil and political
rights.
Heretofore speculation in Hungary
has been cnrbed principally by means
OF law. reading rs follows:
The ministry may, for the duration
OF the war, in order to assure to the
population n steady supply OF foodstufrs
and necessities and to prevent the fore
ing up Of prices. apply suitable meas
nres in the production and distribution
OF these articles. included among them
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