Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-01-09
AUSTR|ANs WANT
M|DDLEMAN TO Be
PUT IN DISCARD
Stringent Laws Being Enacted
to Prevent Loss Accruing
From Useless Factor in Dis
tributlon Of Food.

whose participation in commerce does
distribution OF necessities" are being
adopted throughout the Austro- Hun
garian monarchy. Not alone are new
laws for this purpose being enacted,
but the provisions already made by
the civil aud military bodies are now
being 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 ar
ticle 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
through the "cornering" of certain
supplies In little time the cost of
/ living went up alarmingly, increases
ranging from so to 400 per cent TO
curb this tendency the government it.
self took such action as its power and
scope permitted. II was found, how
ever, that the legislative bodies Of
Austria and Vlun6ary had To act in
the matter. Suitable laws we're
adopted, and these are now being SO
amplified as to close the loopholes
which various actions at law have
disclosed.
A recent ruling in an Austrian court
! in this city Is of interest because il
shows both the letter and spirit of the
'antispeculation laws which have
been adopted.
ExtortIon shown.
! In this case three Galicians had
bought relatively small quantity of
foodstuff, mostly grain Al the trial
| ii was shown that the three dealers
had sold the articles again in the
same town in one instance wheat had
| been resold to its original owner. A
/ profit had been made, and a slight
| increase in the price of food made
! from the articles in question, had re-
suited, 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, hav-
! ing added neither to the value of the
articles, nor facilitated their distribu-
ton. They had in fact, found the
judge. rendered distribution more diff
ficult by holding the articles for
certain time.
The defense was that the accused
had acted within their constitutional
rithts by buying and selling as they
had done, and that they had not ham
pered distribution. because they nad
at all times been ready to sell But
the prosecution obliged the defendants
to make the admission that they had
/ held for higher price, Wherell3on
| the court found that this was now an
offense, because to hold necessities
! for the gaining of a profit, through
the operation of supply and demand"
was Illegal.
Heavy penalties of Imprisonment
l. and fines We're imposed upon the
three dealers.
New Spirit Evident.
Austria did not always have such
| law. Taking this view of economics
/ is distinctly result of the war-the
spirit that nobody shall gain at the
expense 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 deal for profit" has become
very dangerous and Improbable en-
| terprise in Austria today But the
Hungarian government, which hither-
to has not been obliged to concern it.
self much with this problem is also
! beginning to act. Hungary has
greater food resources than Austria,
and, for this reason, spectators have
not found so good a field there Food
stuff has been so relatively plentiful
there that so far for instance, it has
not been thought necessary to rcsu-
| late the consumption of bread by
means of bread card, almost univer-
sally 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 improV-
| ing her "anti-speculation laws.
| Before the Hungarian Diet now in
session. is bill, introduced by the
Hungarian minister of justice, ac-
cording to which no person outside. OF
trade or industry, or without the
special permission of the authorities,
may buy or sell, for the purposes OF
gaining profit through speculation,
any foodstuff or other necessity or
| life This means that only miller
| may buy grain and only a baker flour,
and then no more than what he VIII
need for the requirements of his own
business. The bill. which is sure TO
pass provides a maximum penalty
of two years Imprisonment and line
of 10000 crowns. Another bill, from
the same source, provides for PEN
atty of three years imprisonment ana
a fine of 10000 crowns, for the per-
son who "wilfully destroys or depre-
ciates the quantity and quality OF
lfoodstuffs. Persons convicted of this
offense may also be deprived for
three years of all civil and political
rights.
Speculation Curbcd.
Heretofore speculation in Hungary
has been eurbed principally by means
OF a law, reading as follows
The ministry may, for the dura-
ton of the war, in order TO assure to
its population steady supply OF
foodstuffs and necessities and to pre-
vent the forcing up OF prices, apply
suitable measures in the production
and distribution of these articles. in
cluded among them such emergency
regulations as are needed even if
these be in conflict with existing
laws
A similar law was adopted in Aus
tria. but in both countries specula-
TORS tried hard to evade the letter and
spirit OF the regulations which result
ed from il. Most Of those who have
done so have been made TO account,
and in dealing with them the civil
courts have been less relenting thar
even the military authorities. Mean
while a lesson in economies Is taught,
which, as many here believe. will not
be without beneficial influence after
the war The governments campaign
AGAINST the .nseless middleman' and