The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-11-15

7 ceal the extent OF their gains ana 81
/ cape taxation was to invest their SUI
! plus earnings In works of art and othe
expensive Iuxuries. AS the tax assess
ments were based principally upon tn
individuals bank deposits and the tar
collecting machinery was very muc
out OF gear It was comparatively cas-
to evnde the law by careful manipuia
ton of ones bank account. and by dis
bursting profits received without hay
ing them go through the bank. A Ger
man whom knew told me that he hat
disposed Of an oil painting which has
cost him $500 for no less than $4,000
the price OF works Of art and antiques
having increased to remarkable ex
tent because of the demand for then
from tax dodgers.
| Under the stress of the changed
food conditions the hungry German
soon replaced the honest German. Ger.
mans had always had a reputation for
honesty, but their claims to such dis
tinctIon disappeared with the food sup
ply. Necessity soon brought out all
that was worst In the German char
aeter.
Although the government decreed a
high fine and imprisonment as pun
lshment for buying or selling anything
which had been Communicated, specu-
lators sprang up on every side and
people Dragged openly of what they
had stored away.
The worst deprivation was In the
lack Of fats. The people showed 1t
very plainly. One seldom saw fat
man or fat woman, although before
the war fairness was almost character
lstic of the German physique. Indeed,
l saw a rather stout woman being fol-
lowed by at least twenty boys who
were jeering at her and making slur-
ring remarks about the manner In
which she had retained her ayoirdu-
poIs. A fat person in Germany today
is regarded with suspicion.
Naturally the weakened condition Of
the people makes them all easily sus-
ceptible to disease. Epldemics spread
rapidly and / am inclined to believe
that little care was taken by the au-
.horities to protect the older people
rom infection. / know that my sec
'etary's mother fell and broke both
Ter legs last summer (1917) and was
AIKEN to the accident ward of hos
'ltal where her fellow-patients were
ii crippled. Ten of the inmates Of
hat ward died In single day from
ysentery, and the following day the
cath list was increased by twelve,
ne old lady with the broken legs be-
lg one of them. Twenty-Five more
read cards saved at the expense of
venty-two useless women In one hos
tai alOne-a fair record for two
iysl l have no proof that these I'M
'rtunate victims of disease were de-
berately Infected by the hospital su-
horfties, but the mere fact that TWEEN
y-two patients in an accident ward
led from dysentery in two days is
ertainly evidence of gross careless
ess IL nothing worse.
To buy new clothes 1t is necessary
0 secure q certificate from the gov
rnment to the effect that you are alb
olutely In need Of clothing, and, even
hen, you are compelled to give up the
uit you are iiseardlng.
Branch offices for investigating the
ecesslty Of replenishing ones ward
ODE have been established all over
he cities and they are always crowd
d. Women are In charge and they
eemed thoroughly to enjoy their au-
hority and their power to deny an
pplicatlon for new clothing.
When ] left Berlin the law permit
ed man just two shirts, two collars,
wo pairs of socks, etc, year. Since
soap had disappeared from the mar
Set so many inadequate substitutes
lad been tried that ones laundry in
came home full of holes.
In November, 1917, paid 500 for a
suit of clothes which If it had been
made out of cloth of good quality
would have been worth about $35. AS
II was, the tailor frankly admitted
that the goods was made Of re-worked
yarn, and because Of the lack of cotton
thread, the seams We're worked with a
material which looked like paper
string.
This paper string was In general use
at that time. the department stores all
displaying notices warning customers
not to carry their parcels by the string.
Many purchases were no longer
wrapped. to save paper, and no pur-
chase amounting to less than SIS was
delivered.
Before l left Berlin, artificial SILK
was the principal fabric obtainable for
ladies' wearing apparel. Almost every
woman In the land, princess or maid
was attired in art taffeta. 1t sold fol
$40 yard. In normal times it would
have been worth from 20 cents to ST.
In the fall of 1917, cloth suit was un
obtainable for less than $500. 1t would
have been worth $25 In normal times
All fur skins were needed for sol
diers' wear and the few that were still
obtainahle for home use in the form
of fur sets sold for $1,000 up.
Through spectators, we obtained
some imitation soft soap at "a pei
nOuNd paonla said a. XvaS mazda f,n,,