Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-08-20
row 3 Net tbs sits.ataon.


The government decreed that .
policy Of saving must be instituted,
All restaurants and theatres were
forced to close at 10 o'clock In the
evening; street railway trafdc was re-
duced. The state railway trains were
put on half time schedule. Only one
electric lamp was allowed in each
house. All illumination OF store
windows was prohibited summartly.
For the production Of gas Denmark
uses about $4,000 tons Of coal every
year. The inevitable consequences
was that there must be q restriction
Of gas consumption, and the govern
ment ordered that q could be used
for cooking purposes only W hours
per day.
Kerosene was so scarce at the time
OF the submarine proclamation that
severe restrictions became necessary.
Many people in Danish cities use kero-
sene lamps, but in June of this year
O prohibition was issued against the
use Of kerosene. Anticipating a short
pie had attempted to purchase kero-
sene lamps, only to find that the state
railways had exhausted the supply.
So, just now the Danes are laying in
large supplies Of candle lights.
The Food Situation.
! Grain md feed are very scarce. that
is, comparatively speaking. Denmark
has always been an agricultural coun-
try and has exported vast quantities
Of supplies to other countries, chiefly
to England. In 1913 an agreement
wss made with England to the effect
that SO per cent of the Danish agri-
cultural products be shipped to that
country; IA per cent would go to
Germany, and 36 per cent would be
reserved for Denmark's own use. In
other words, England receives to this
very day much heavier quantities of
Danish farm products than does Dem
mark herself.
To conserve the grain was the early
aim of the government after the Feb
ruary crisis. 30 on March / a tenn
porary liquor prohibition law went
into effect while the government took
stock of the supply on hand. Three
weeks later the prohibition was abol-
ished, and at the same time the whole
sale and retail prices wsre raised more
hoped to reduce the CONSUMPTION of
liquor and to ave considerable parts
of the grain ingredients which are
used for the manufacture of distilled
liquors.
On April ! bread cards were intro
duced. Each Dane is now entitled to
receive every week 8.s pounds of
black bread and 8.6 pounds of white
bread. II baking ts done at home.
as it often is, the bread card allow
ance is IA pounds OF v -four and 90
ing is said to be sufficient and salts
factory.
The potato market has caused con.
siderable anxiety. The estimated cror
Is about 80 per cent of the norma,
and only So per cent Of the 1915
crop, and potatoes seem to be hard
to obtain from other countries.
To alleviate the food situation pub
lie kitchens were established in Cop
enhagen during the first part Of
March. More than 10000 Copen'
hageners of the middle class are abis
here to purchase two courses Of vel
II cents.
The Prosperity Of the Nation.
On March 20 a cable dispatch to {
New York paper said: Denmark Il
prosperous. most prosperous TIL
greatly, especially with reference t,
the farmers and fishermen Of tn
country. There Is twenty million dol
lars more In the savings banks of tn
country than in 1916"
This statement must be taken Gun
granum sails. Certain classes in Den
mark have been enriched, but tn
large middle class has to live on prac
tically the same income and salarie
as before the war, while the cost o
living has Increased tremendously
Taxation has been greatly increased
! and the lot Of the average panisI
citizen is by no means an enviabl
one.
Those who have reaped a golde
harvest because of the war, have In
vited the special attention Of an aler
/ government. The income tax ha
and. besides, there Is an extra tax O
rs per cent on all so-called wa
profits.
!, Take the typical Danish bushes
man who likes to be well dressed. Be
fore the war he could buy good shoe
j at q price ranging from Sc to 50; no,
these shoes cost him from $40 to Sls
and in mems clothing a correspondent
rise has taken place. Clothes in COP
enhagen cost now 20 per cent NOR
than they did in New York at the out
|, break of the war.
: It must be remembered that ther
:, is a very large class Of mel on Axe
, salaries, either in business or In tn
government civil service; once in
while a small increase is made in thei
income, but 1t Is not COMMENSURATE
i with the increase In the cost of livinl
In the Event OF War.
Under the circumstances az out
: lined above. II appears that It woul
be an exceedingly dangerous thing 10