Omaha daily bee., 1917-04-22

the cost OF living or ABOUT ~ per cent
living is about $50 per cent more ex-
pensive than before the war.
1t is known that the large Vienna
banks are not uninterested in this
practice. Much of the capital needed
to make the cornering and holding
food possible is supplied by them at
suitable rate, of course. During
the war these banks have become al
most omnipotent for the reason that
the government needs them. 1t is
said Major General Hoefer will meet
in them an antagonist worthy of his
best efforts.
On the whole fool in Austria is not
scarce. Most OF the rural districts
do not know as yet what government
regulation OF ones bill of fare is.
While bread, butter and fat cards
have been introduced everywhere. the
country population pays on the whole
little attention to them.
Wants Higher Price.
The farmer also is averse to selling
at maximum prices. He will hold
his products for an opportunity to
make a private sale. He can afford to
do this, because il ultimately part of
his foodstuffs be requisitioned by the
government he will get the maximum
price anyway. In certain districts in
Bohemia and the Salzburg country
food conditions are nearly normal,
though in adjacent mountainous parts
which must import some Of this food,
the situation resembles those in the
cities and larger towns.
Austria's food problems have been
aggravated by the attitude Of the Hun
garian government. Austria is largely
industrial. while Hungary is essentially
an agricultural state. In the past the
two have exchanged manufactured
for soil products. Anxious. however,
that its own stomach might suffer
Hungary has enforced a number of
export inhibitioins which have not
bettered the situation in Austria.
While the Hungarian government has
given as its excuse that the recent
crops have not been good. it is I'M
derstood that pure selfishness is the
actual reason for this somewhat un-
brotherly conduct. Hungary at any
rate has more food than its popula-
ton needs, though Budapest is suf-
fcring from the same hardships as is
Vienna. The food merchants of both
make all the money they can, and so
far neither government has been able
to Brighten them into more reason
able attitude.
Meanwhile the situation in Vienna
cannot become much worse than it
is, without the government being
obliged to adopt the drastic measure
of conhscation. Sanction for this al
ready exists and, except dealers in
foodstuffs decide to be reasonable,
paragraph fourteen of the Austrian
constitution may find application here.
With certain classes the war and
its appeal to patriotism have lost all
novelty. They have decided to be-
come rich while they have the oppor-
tunity under a set OF conditions which
has eliminated competition and re-
duced the entire country to a state OF
commercial vassalage. Some of the
examples of this are shocking In a
certain Vienna cafe, appendage OF a
well-known hotel, the management
had the courage to charge 20 hellers
for piece of rice cake worth one
American cent. The protest OF the
customers has since then caused the
cake to be sold at 40 hellers-after
the portion had been cut nearly in
half. For pair of shoes 80 crowns
!. asked today, on the plea that there
is no leather-a fictitious claim
which is all the more absurd since
the uppers OF such a pair of shoes
are made of textile fabric.