The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-24
All Northern Russia in Ex-
IRENE State of Famine.
Potatoes Are Luxury-Adults
Not Allowed Meat.
CONFISCATE HOARDED MONEY
"Gov't" Breaks Open Deposit
Vaults; Bank Clerks '-Strike."
Only Black Bread Available
Sugar IS Cents a Pound.

Petrograd, Jan. 24-Since the dis
| solution of the constituent assembly
and the disa appearance of any imme-
date hope of reconciIing the striving
political parties, public attention in
North Russia is conferred on the bread
shortage, the lack of practically all
foodstuff, the breakdown of Transport
tation and the commercial stagna-
ton as the result of the closing of
the banks.
Moscow, Petrograd and all the
larger cities of north Russia have
| little bread.
The bread allowance in Petrosrad
today has been reduced to a quarter
of a pound daily and the food COM
| mission has limited eggs to children
under years, each child to have four
eggs a month But eggs are not OBJ
tainable at any price The commits
sion also has limited fresh meat to
/ children between the ages of 3 and
IL, with a half pound monthly to
! each child.
| Potatoes have been substituted for
| bread at Novgorod and many other
places in North Russia. but the cost
| is equivalent 20 Is cents per pound
in Petrograd and consequently the
masses of the people cannot buy them.
| Suspend Passenger Trains.
! A general suspension of passenger
trains began today in effort to
speed the transportation of foodstuffs
| from Siberia and South Russia to the
north. Members of the railway mems
| unions are remaining at their posts
| trying to maintain the transportation,
| but locomotives and cars are badly
disabled and traffic is hindered by the
masses of wandering soldiers from all
| sections of the country who insist
/ that their trains have precede nce
| over freight Virtually all trains ar
irving at Petrograd are crowded with
| soldiers, the windows in many of the
passenger coaches having been brok-
en- by the Passengers to get air.
| Former bank employees in Moscow
and Petrograd still refuse to work
under the direction of the Smolny
institute. Withdrawals on checks are
limited to 500 rubles to each deposi-
tor daily. and long lines form at the
| banks because of the long delays and
difficulties in getting money Boil
! shev1k1 agents are opening safe de-
post boxes and confiscating boarded
gold and silver for the government
and turning boarded paper money
! into current accounts for the owners.
Street cars and lighting plants have
| suspended operations frequently in
/ Petrograd because of the lack-of fuel,
and car lines when operating are so
! crowded by soldiers and refugees thai
down In Moscow the car lines are
| in worse condition than here.
Soldiers Pebble Food.
| Soldiers and sailors have become
| peddlers thruout North Russia. and
/ are making excursions into the coun-
try and returning to the cities with
! bread. meat, tobacco and sugar. AL
! tho the city shops are without stocks,
! the streets are lined with soldiers
| offering supplies at high prices IL
Eliminating oil is not obtainable in
! Petrograd, and candles are selling at
/ 10 cents per pound One pound of
, sugar is allowed each person monthly
/ by card at % cents a pound, but
| sugar bought without a card costs Z 5
/ cents pound Flour is unobtain-
able at any price. and black bread
when bought with cards costs 5 cents
| a pound when available
| Dispatches from any points in the
| Samara and Moscow districts report
starvation