The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-09-08
Sporadic Strikes Have Produced
Throughout Italy Conditions
in Many Instances Approx
mating Bolshevism.
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
UNABLE TO FUNCTION
Merchants Have Been Greatest
Sufferers as Consequence of
Price Fixing by Late Organi-
zation Styled Chamber Labor.

Rome, Sept S.-Intermittent and
sporadic strikes, which have produced
throughout Italy conditions in some in
stances approximating bolshevism. in
others a kind of socialism and in still
others localized anarchy, have given
Italian political economists and states
men new spurs to study remedial ac-
tion.
There has been rule without rule
according to foreign observers. The
government agencies long established
for the administration of public af-
fairs existed but failed to function.
Municipal authorities. communal of
ficials and representatives of he state
admitted they were helpless to deal
with the unusual situations which rem
dered inactive the prerogatives of those
in power. Striking workmen forced
demands upon helpless commercial
class it is pointed out while the au-
thorities merely looked on lin obedi-
ence to the will of the disturbers."
The organizations throu- -hout Italy
that planned the newest departure in
governmental and economic admins
tration were styled Camera del Lavoro.
A literal translation would define them
as Chambers of Labor but their func-
tions went much beyond the province
of labor, as one ordinarily conceives
that province, and extended so far
that prices were arbitrarily fixed and
the sale of commodities ordered.
The merchant seems to have been the
one who has suffered most by the
adventure" His stocks were COM
mandeered by the Camera del Lavoro,
IL he did not show the disposition to
sell at the prices fixed by that organi-
zation. In most cases, the arbitrary
reduction of fifty per cent was exacted
on all commodities regardless of the
cost of the goods. the condition of the
market or the rate of foreign exchange
or any of the factors which determine
selling prices. There were examples
of forced reduction as low as seventy
per cent. but these were few
The Camera del Lavoro would set the
day on which the new scale of prices
would take effect. Some of. the mer-
chants refused to open their stores but
there We're worse things in readiness
for them. Those stores opened were
crowded with people anxious to benefit
by the change There never was such
business in any of the merchant estab-
lishments throughout Italy. Every
storekeeper needed between ten and
fifty soldiers or policemen to keep the
rush for bargains that, in many places
the situation quickly changed to vio-
lent disorder in which many innocent
women and children We're either tram
pied upon or received painful handling
by the mobs.
In the case of food there was little
to be done but to hand the ready Gus
toner the product for which he asked
Canned meats could be handed out
without much trouble. Wine, which is
no luxury in Italy. was sold at con-
siderable reduction. one dollar TASKS
going in many cases for fifteen cents.
Wine could be easily handled and sold
So could vegetables and fruits and the
usual table products.
But. when it came to the distribution
or clothing and shoes, the real trouble
began. While the clothing establish
ments did not receive as much of a
rush as the shoe establishments they
were crowded enough and the scram-
bic for proper sizes and fittings was
a veritable catch -catch-can. The
attempts of the statesmen and sales
ladies of the shops to serve patrons
was failure. and they contented
themselves merely with receiving the
small cash payments that were made
by the bargain hunters