Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-09-09
EMBARRASSMENT CONDITIONS OBTAIN
 THROUGHOUT ITALY
Camera Del LavOrO is Most Troublesome of All Organ
 iZatiOnS.

Rome, Aug. -(Correspondence of the Associated Press.)-Intermit- tent and sporadic strikes, which have produced throughout Italy conditions in some instances approximating bol- shevism, in others a kind of socialism and in still other localized anarchy, have given Italian political econom- ists and statesmen new spurs to study and remedial action.
 There has been "rule without rule" according to foreign observers. The government agencies long establish ed for the administration of public affairs existed but failed to function. Municipal authorities, communal of ficials and representative of the state admitted they were helpless to deal with the unusual situations which rendered inactive the preroga- tives of those in power Striking workmen forced demands upon helpless commercial class it is point ed out while the authorities merely looked on "in obedience to the will of the disturbers."
 The organizations throughout Italy that planned the newest de- parture in governmental and econo- mic administration were styled Camera del Lavoro. A literal trans lation would define them as cham bers of labor but their functions 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, if 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 ex- acted on all commodities regardless , of the cost of the goods, the condi- tion of the market or the rate of , foreign exchange or any of the fac tors which determine selling prices. There were examples of forced reduc- tions 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 merchants refused to open their stores but there were 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 establishments throughout Italy. Every storekeepel needed between ten and fifty sol diers or policemen to keep the crowe l in order. There was such rush fol bargains that, in many places, tn, situation quickly changed to violen disorder in which many innocen women and children were either trampled upon or received painful handling by the mobs.
 In the case of food, there was littl, to be done but to hand the ready GUS toners the product for which the, asked. Canned meats could be hand ed out without much trouble. Wine which is no luxury in Italy, was solt at considerable reduction, one dol lar flasks going in many cases fol fifteen cents. Wine could be easily handled and sold. So could vegeta bles and fruits and the usual table products.
 But, when it came to the distribu tion of clothing and shoes, the req trouble began. While the clothing establishments did not receive a. much rush as the shoe establish ments they were crowded enough ant the scramble for proper sizes and fit tings was veritable catch-as-catch can. The attempts of the salesmel and saleswomen of the shops to serve patrons was failure, and they con tented themselves merely with re ceiving the small cash payments that Wnrn n, ado bv thu harroip hI1nforc