Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-02-01
Wild EXTRAVACANCE
AND SAD DESTITuT|ON
FEATURE vienna LIFE
Two Year Review of Life and
Economic Situation In Aus
trials Gay Capital.
Special Correspondence of the New York
Evening Post.

Special Correspondence of the New York
Evening Post.
Nlenna.-nry as the figures may
seen, to be with which / must begin this
letter, they will explain much to those
VINO can read them correctly. | am not
IN a position to say in what way n to
w.lat amount the numbers of the p
latlon of Vienna have changed during
the second year of the war. The women
nave IN a great lumber of concerns
usu:ped the places of the men, and
though this fact alone must bring about
quite a revolution in the economic cir
cutnstances of a great city, the financial
equilibrium has been maintained up to
a certain degree. Thus the banks and
saving banks have increased their stock
of ready money. For instance, the taxes
collected in Vienna during August. 1916,
amounted TO 1,191,o00 rowns more h
IN August, 1915. The financial yea Of
the cjty-beginning July /, 1914. and
ending June 80. 1915-closed with Il
heavy deficit, The receipts amounted to
1913 900 crowns, or say S4S. 50O,0 600,
the expenses to PAS, COS, 900
Where the ordinary expenses are con-
cefned, the receipts exceeded the ex-
penseS by IL, 500, 600 crowns, whereas
the extraordinary expenses of 74,000,-
700 crowns exceeded the previous pro-
vision for them by 1000. 900 crowns.
Inc accounts for the second year of the
war were so much more unsatisfactory
tnat the senii-Semetic municipal council
OF the city gave up the most important
of It's party principles, strictly maintain
ed since DIR. Lueger's regime, and de.
clared tina it would no longer object to
receiving Jews in its midst, since it
nus decidedly decline to bear the en-
tire burden of the responsibility OF the
clty'S finances.
$4,000 Seek Charity.
During the whole year, 10000 persons
have asked and received the boon of a
gratis dinner and q piece of bread. The
approaching winter threatens to in
crease the number of destitute persons
al the more, because the newly es-
tablished wal kitchens, which offer
dlnners at cost prices, do not seem to
succeed in the way which might have
oeen expected. AS Yet only 1000 persons
nave resorted to these. Among the char
tiles Instituted bv the municipality are
the sewing and knitting rooms. IN which
at present 1000 needy women are en-
ployed' Ihey earn as much as $40 Il
week, and in one year have made L.
100000 pieces of needlework and knit
tlng. The expenses for material and
wages amounted to 2.000,000 crowns.
the sale of he goods, mostly to the war
department., fetched 1,500, 900 crowns.
HAN a million mattresses and as many
boosters We're made. $500, 900 soldiers
shlrts and drawers were sewn. 1000, 900
s~andhaSs, 1900, 900 bread and oat bags,
lnulls' gloves. caps, socks, stockings
CATERS. conforters, mittens, jackets,
We're made by the 10 thousands, by
these women alone, who also provide
the hospitals with sheets, blankets,
towels. and slippers.
me mayor, in making his report. de-
piofes the fact that it was impossible to
provide Vienna satisfactorily with even
the indispensable vfctuals. There were
not enough new potatoes to go All
round, n the old potatoes We're scarce
and bad. OF curse, it is to be hoped
that his difficulty will disappear, as
the potato harvest of 1916 comes to
market. There was enough bread.
though its distribution still offers many
difficulties, partly due to the bread
marks, which are, however, indispen-
sable where a fair distribution is nee
essarN, and partly because the num-
Der of shops where bread is sold is
much too small in proportion to the
number of persons who wish to be
served at the same time.
Lard, bacon, butter, soap and fat of
every description were very scarce. and
induced the authorities to provide a fat
card. because all persons who had
ready money tried to buy up all the
$500 ~ ptSSSl y ~ " lIl1
winter, and be prepared against the
dangers Of a prolongation of the war.
The cards. which allow only a small
quantity OF fat for consumption to
every person, are the only means of
insuring a fair distribution among rich
and poor. In the summer and autumn
there We're plenty Of fresh vegetables
and prices were not exorbitant, but
fruit, though plentiful, was very dear
and the children OF the DOR had, we
are afraid, to go without.
The price of meat and eggs was SO
high that the reduced quantities Of
fered for sale were amply sufficient for
the demand. Figures will explain best.
In August, 1915, 22,767 head of cattle
arrived in the Vienna market. II Au-
gust, 1916, the number was $3.50
calves. 1884 In August, 1915; 1000 in
1916; pigs, ASSET In 1915, 1852 in 1916
The prices explain why there was not
q greater demand. Beef cost 11h
.rowns: pork, 91a: bacon 10 crowns, and
not to be had; butter, 10 crowns, and
only sold in very small quantities;
margarine, which before the wal was
in socalled better houses" was will
|ingly bought at a crow more than
fresh butter. A kilogramme of pota-
oes cost sc hellers; sauerkraut, so;
onions, a crown, or 20 cents; beans, Z
crowns. An egg cost go hellers, and
was CONSIDERED a prize Wnen II was
fresh. h price of coal is only so pei
cent higher han it was before the war
but coal merchants make the customer
pay for delivery, 80 per cent Of the price
of the GOA. A metric hundredweight OF
coal costs 3 rowns and l crown car
riage. Yet the statistical reports or
the health Of the community show tina,
there raj less sickness and less NOR
tality last summer than in the same
months OF the preceding year.
Tradesmen Profit.
The tradesmen have not come up tC
the mark during this anxious time
Though not a day passes but somebody
is fined for taking undue profits, it il
impossible for the authorities to keep
them within pound OF honesty and
decency. Shopmen and shopgirls have