The daily Alaska citizen., 1919-12-09
BERLIN FILLED WITH LABORFRS
 THO WON'T WORK


 port" bonus that thousands upon thousands Of men and women now are drawing In Berlin and Germany f- proving a heavy drain on the trea- sury and it is charged that the bonus is SO high that many men who in peace times were unsknled workmcn now receive more pay for idleness than if they went back to their labor
 Begun under the stress of -he "evo- lution and with the intention Of tenn porarilly aleviating distress. com plaint is made that this bonus sys- tenn has become a deeply imbcdded cancer that sucks millions from the government that can ill afford it.
 The number of persons Idle in Der lin during August was nearly a mil lion. It is estimated that 75O 900 of them do not want work because they are being supported by the stat' and are free to carry m the inegiu- mate pursuits of the unlicensed street dealer. the fy-by-night gambler, the soap and cigarette vendor
 The streets and squares Of Berlin where people congregata most are, despite occasional attempts Of the police, swaming hives O. humqnits. selling or buying poor soap, wretched matches immoral postcards and in decent literature, and cigarettes that are sold at ridiculous prices. espocia)- ly in the case of American cigarettes which now glut the market Recent ly the police have begun to raid these vendors.
 The first "razzia" as such raids are called was unexpected and so many dealers were captured that they had 10 be sent to collection points ana then were transferred from there to the various police stations The con dscated food and goods required auto trucks for its transportation
 Roulette and little gambling games played on a tiny board that can be hastily concealed as the crowd scat, ters on the approach of the police, still attract more workless than other strata of the population because tn" workless have time to kill, and money to spend and likewise the strong in 'ination to spend.
 One of the most unpleasant features If Berlin street life is the array of wounded soldiers, suffering from brok- on or missing legs and arms, shell shock or alleged shell shock who sit forlornly on the principal street and manipulate violin or T harmon ica, With hands and features that tremble these relics of the war beg from morning until long after mid night. Their music" is always har- rowing.
 A one-Iegged man with the face of a criminal dirty to the last degree. with a rough, unkept beard, seems to have no difficulty with the police. as he hobbies up and down Under den Linden, positively insulting passers- by, especially women He fastens on them, often holds them by the arms, and demands, not begs, aims. Countless policemen pass up and down, but the man is always there.
 The police no sooner put down one gambling club or street gambler than the passion breaks out elsewhere. Thus recently, in lieu of some cheap clubs, a round table is widely used as a race track for six tiny automo- piles.
 The letter of a business man of Berlin telling of his experience when trying to get some repairs made on his house is commented on here as typical of the spirit of dislike of work that prevails in Germany since the revolution. He writes:
 l Intended to have my house re- aired and therefore sought a work, man who before the war had done little things for me I did not find him at his house. Only his seven year-old boy was there.
 'Where is your father" I asked
 He is selling cigarettes on the Potsdamer Platz,' the youngester re piled.
 And your mother"
 She is selling soap at the Anahlter railroad station
 well, is no one else here?"
 No, my big brother has gone to collect the workless support for father'"