Omaha daily bee., 1916-06-04
BERLIN CITY OF SPENDERS
Higher Priced Cafes Always Filled
and jewelers. and Rug Dealers
Do a Big Business.
WAGES GREATLY INCREASED

WAGES GREATLY INCREASED
Correspondence OF the Associated Press)
Berlin, May 30.-"Alles besetzt Gall
full), said gorgeously uniformed in
dividual standing before the street
door of the big Friedrichstrasse cafe,
The man to whom he spoke had no in
tention of going in, but he happened
to look toward the door as he passed
and the uniformed one had parroted
forth his one phrase so many times
that the simple glance in his direc-
tion sufficed to evoke it again.
The passerby, however, grew curl
Gus, and made trip through the bet
ter parts OF the city. This is what
he found.
Three better class cafes with from
ten to thirty persons standing out
| side or in the entrance way, waiting
for table to become vacant
All other wine or beer restaurants
visited so full that only in one could
free table for two persons be found
Two others where the door keeper
announced in advance: allies be-
setzt."
The observer had for months en-.
countered difficulty In finding a
table in leading restaurant having
more than 500 tables. In one of the
places, Inter den Linden, the head
waiter had been graciously pleased to
let him dine on his promise not to
retain the table longer than an hour
In another Inter den Linden
restaurant he had found that 1t was
all but impossible to eat without re-
serving table in advance And these
two places are the most expensive
ones in all Berlin.
Brings Wealth to Some.
The condition is symptomatic. War,
which brings poverty and misery to
so many, brings wealth to others.
Many persons who had been strug-
Cling along with barely more than
the necessaries of life for years, have
grown wealthy almost over night.
And they are spending, spending Law
ishly, spending carelessly. Berlin has
become the city of the spenders.
The crowds that fill the better class
places go there in spite of the fact
that everything costs more than be-
fore the war. Beer is dearer Even
coffee has increased in price. The
still considerable stocks OF the high
est grade French champagnes are
finding a bigger sale than ever be-
fore, in the face Of price increase
OF 4 or ) marks a bottle. A promi-
nent German champagne firm recent
ly declared a dividend thrice great
er than that of the precedign year
1t was only one dividend contributed
by the spenders
Caviar costs from is to "a marks a
pound in peace times in Berlin. Until
the recent prohibition of the further
import OF non-indispensable articles
put an end TO the business, vast guam
titles OF Astrachan caviar were be-
ing sold for prices upwards Of AZ
marks. Similar conditions existed as
TO other Injuries.
Rugs High, Too.
Dealers in fine porcelains Oriental
rugs. bronzes and antiques generally
arc doing a flonrishng business,
There are almost no really fine rugs
left among the stocks OF the Berlin
dealers None can be secured BY
import and the spendrrs have
bought up al that were on hand. A
Berlin resident went recently To one
oi the Leading auction houses III the
hope ~ securing an old Turkish rug
az reasonable price Il sold for 70
pcr cent more than would have heen
realized Ia peace times The same
was true Il other rugs, ~ ieWelry.
boz TACT. ~ nearlY everything offered .
Tile most fashionable irWeisf M
FefltH sait to the Associated Press
representative
We are having great diaicultY IN 4
keeping abreast ai orders This y I
i course tue in part laa lack oi.
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