New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-04

that the shopkeepers of Greater Berlin
petitioned the authorities to permit them
to close at o'clock In order to save fuel.
The shortage of coal was described as
due to lack OF transportation facilities.
The rolling stock Of the railways was
much in demand for military purposes,
besides moving the crops, and the diff
culties of moving coal were very great
difficulties that we're not wholly connected
with the railways. 1t was reported that
one of the chief causes Of delay was the
scarcity of teams and laborers to load and
unload cars. The military authorities, SO
far as possible, did their utmost to supply
the lack of teams by putting military auto
trucks at the disposal of the handlers OF
coal; but this help had not yet proved
adequate. The suburban electrical roads,
it was added in one report, would be called
into requisition for shipping potatoes into
many towns.
This brings up that most important
tuber in the feeding of Germany, which
also cuts considerable figure in the
! newspapers of Berlin and Frankfort. At
+ the latter town the food Office called upon
all heads of households to announce be-
forehand the quantity of potatoes needed
! during the winter, so that the immediate
storage of supplies might begin. The
notice mentioned that if full announce
ments were at once sent in there was
prospect that the authorities could be-
gin November 1 to provide for further
supplies reaching to next August. The
City of Friedman, suburb Of Berlin,
was about to begin to supply its citizens
with winter potatoes at 10 marks the
hundredweight (11O pounds), which, it
may be mentioned, is considerably less
than half of the New York price at this
moment, when the depreciation of German
currency is taken into account.
The shortage of milk was also keenly
felt, especially at Berlin. One Berlin pa
per printed report stating that the milk
supply was utterly insufficient; in the
towns it was no longer possible to get
enough milk for even the younger children.
In explanation, it was added that milk
producers in outlying country districts
were in many cases converting their milk
into butter, because this was more profit
able: or the milk was consumed near the
place of production. Anyway, the big
towns are falling far short of their needs.
There has been a sharp squirt in hops;
not because the brewers are asking for
more, but for more interesting cause.
The "Frankfurter Zeitung" says that one
report assigned the cause of the rise to
the fact that the military authorities were.
buying considerable quantities to be used
in making a substitute for smoking to-
bacco for the soldiers.
The war shows itself in many ways even
in the advertisements Of the newspapers.
One party advertises for bookkeepers and
other Office help for the occupied dis
tricts of Belgium. One man slightly
manned in the war and, therefore, exempt
from further military duty" wants a job;
and another, whose business has been
closed down since the war, now wants to
find a new opening. Insurance companies
advertise special policies for aviators;
also for damages inflicted by aerop'anes.
Substitutes for various articles figure
large in the advertisements. A chemical
factory wants a substitute for paraffin and
asks for immediate answers, with samples.
One manufacturer advertises pasteboard
cans "hard as rock" for marmalade and
other preserves. The shortage of jute is