South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-07-05
PLENTY FOOD IN
RUSSIA IF ONE
HAS THE MONEY
Reporter Says Nation is Not
Starving, But 0iStribu-
ton is Unequal.
BY FRANK j. TAYLOR.

/ some people are starving, but still
others are overfed. As in the days
Of the old regime, Russia is the land
of extremes, in food as in Everything
| else.
In the public markets along the
/ streets of Moscow you can buy prac-
] tically any kind OF food you want
You can get any quality you are
! willing TO pay for The famous
Moscow Butcher Row" fourishes
as never before with plenty OF fresh
] meat for those who have money.
The soviet government once for
bade the sale Of food in these open
markets on the ground that it was
capitalistic exploitation. At once
food became more scarce and prices
scared unbelievably. Business con-
tinued good" though not "as
/ usual''-it was conducted on the
quiet.
Ignore Private Business.
| Executions and other favorite
forms of punishment failed to end
| buying and selling on the quiet. and
the bolsheviks finally adopted a pol
icy of ignoring private business in
| food.
IL was found that suppression of
! open sale OF food had a decided eff
| feet on public morale. People be-
came hostile and gloomy when they
could not buy if they had-the money.
The soviet government aims TO
| supply the people with food at CO.
| operatives, which sell a limited
|
cial prices. The difficulty is getting
enough to sell TO the people 70 keep
them alive. At present there is not
enough.
The government. through it's CO.
operatives. is forced 10 pay exorbit-
ant prices TO get food for the people.
Peasants will not sell their products
unless they can be paid in gold or
old regime money. unless they are
paid enormous amounts.
Sell Below Cost.
Now the government is selling
much OF its goods at prices lower
than cost. The deficit is made UP by
printing more money. But even
fabulous prices fail 70 secure enough
and people are forced TO rely upon
/
have enough money.
1t is forbidden TO bring food from
the country TO the city privately.
The government is supposed 10 have
a monopoly on food commerce.
Guards at the depots examine every
ones baggage. TO see that each trav-
eler carries only food for himself.
Yet food comes in TO cities and is
sold. Smuggling food TO Moscow or
Petrograd or other cities is a big
business in Russia. In spite Of the
difficulties Of getting passes to travel
; and carrying food. everything one
, needs can be bought privately in
Moscow.
| There is sugar from the Ukraine
: apples from Crimea, butter. eggs
milk. cheese. and meat from the
, nearer country and other products
The government with all it's dill.
gence cannot control commerce.
Prices are sky-high. In Moscow
an apple costs % rubles A rubIC
| formerly correspondent to the Amer.
5 lean quarter Now it is worth five
or six cents. Bolshevik rubles are
I plentiful.
! a few Moscow prices are; Cheese
: 60 rubles per pound; butter, 40
z lemons. 60; milk, II rubles per pint
meat. GO; sugar. so; bacon, 100
! potatoes. 10 rubles per pound.
, Petrograd prices are higher. Some
= OF them are: Butter. 20 rubles pei
/ pound; one egg, 25; sugar, 200
= sauerkraut. %; pork. $50; bacon
r 200; bread. IS; white -four, 1000
rubles or more per pound.
Much Ingenuity Shown.
Getting food into cities pays biz
- money Much ingenuity is shown
Probably the greatest proiteers ar,
I the railroad people. They ar,
amassing fortunes. A number o.
times along the railroad the tran
will stop at the edge OF a small towr
or even in a field.
The engineer and brakeman max,
a dash for the nearest house anC
=. come running back with sacks o
I, food. which they hide usually in tn.
: locomotive. other members Of thu
train crew also stock up, often hold
: ing a train for % or 20 minutes q
buy food from farmers
Trains Not Examined.
Il is seldom that trains are exam
: med, and railroad employees are a BIZ
: 70, smuggle their goods 70 merchant
under cover of darkness. Both tn
. railroaders and the merchants maxi
from 500 10 1000 per cent on thei
: money Railroad jobs are in de
mand g. 4 s
Theoretically restaurants catering
" 10 the general public are under tn
ban You are supposed to be assign
I ed TO a certain place 10 eat all o
!. your meals, if va do not have
family and live at home The Cit
commissaire assigns you. II you d.
not Ike it, you can lump it
AS a matter OF fact, restaurant
u do run in quiet spots, even in Mos
g COW You can get a surprisingly
" good meal. sufficient in quantity an
. quality Soup. meat. vegetable:
J, dessert. and coffee in one OF thes
places costs you 125 rubles
Only Question Of Money.
But you can get enough provide
II you have the money In the coun
r. try prices are far better At rail
n road stations along the lines othe
n -hav tho AToecovr- pafroorad rour