Bisbee daily review., 1916-01-06
MIDDLEMEN FR0WNED
 UPON BY LAW IN THE
 AUSTRIAN MONARCHY
Dual Kingdom Adopts Laws which Practically Eliminate Profit Taking by Anyone Not an Actual Producer.

' for the elimination of the "middleman , whose participation in commerce does
 not add to the value or facilitate the
 distribution of necessities" are being adopted throughout the Austro-Hunga. rian monarchy. Not alone are new : laws for this purpose being enacted, , but the provisions already made by the
 civil and military bodies are now be-
 ing enforced with a rigor that gives no quarter to offenders.
 Laws in force and in the course of
 enactment provide that nobody within
 Austria and Hungary may buy an arti-
 cle of necessity and then sell it again
 for the sake of personal gain, This
 affects transactions in foodstuffs es-
 pecially. When the European war
 broke out it was found that there were
 many who wished to profit by it by
 "cornering" of certain supplies. In little time the cost of living went up alarmingly, increases ranging from 50 to 400 percent. To curb this tendency the government itself took such action as it's power and scope permitted. It was found, however, that the legisla- tive bodies of Austria and Hungary had to act in the matter Suitable laws were adopted, and these are now being so amplified as to close the loop holes which various actions at law have disclosed.
 i A recent ruling in an Austrian su- perior court in this city is of interest, ' because it shows both the letter and spirit of the "anti-speculation laws" which have been adopted.
 In this case three Galicians had bought relatively small quantity of foodstuff, mostly grain. At the trial had sold the articles again in the same town, in one instance wheat had been re-sold to its original owner. A profit had been made. and slight increase in the price of food made from the ar ticles in question had resulted, it was proven.
 The court ruled that under the law this was an offense, because the sale and resale of the articles had been made by the defendants with profit to which they were not entitled, hay ing added neither to the value o fthe article. nor facilitated their distribu- ton. They had, in fact, found the judge. rendered distribution more diff fcult by holding the articles for cer- tain time.
 The defense was that the accused had acted within their constitutional rights by buying and sleling as they had done, and that they had not ham, pered 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 a higher price weherupon the court found that this was now an of fense, because to hold necessities for the gaining of profit, through the op- eration of the law of supply and de- mand" was illegal.
 Heavy penalties of imprisonment and fines were imposed upon the three dealers.
 Austria did not always have such d law. Taking this view of economies is distinctly result of the war-the spirit that nobody shall gain at the ex- pense of the other when "the other" is likely to be at the front, risking his life for his country and leaving his family in strengthened circumstances perhaps.
 To Ideal for profit" has become a very dangerous and improbable enter prise in Austria today But the Hun garian government, which hitherto has not been obliged to concern itself much with this problem is also egin- ming to act Hungary has greater food resources than Austria. and, for this reason, spectators have not found so good z field there Foodstuffs have been SO relatively plentiful there that so far, for instance, it has not been thought necessary to regulate the con sumption of bread by means of bread card, almost universally used in Aus .tiia.
 Contrary to opinions generally held, in interior affairs. Austria and Hunga- " have nothing in common. On this account. Hungary is not improving her own "anti-speculation laws"
 Before the Hungarian diet. now in session, is a bill, introduced by the Hungarian minister of justice, accord ing to which no person outside of trade or industry. or without the spe- cial permission of the authorities, may buy or sell, for purposes of gaining profit through speculation, any food stuff or other necessity of life. This means that only miller may buy grain and only baker four and then no more than what he will need for the requirements of his own business. The bill. which is sure 10 pass, pro vides a miximum penalty of ten years