The Washington times., 1919-02-11
THIS CITY INVENTED
HIGH COST OF LIVING

TEHERAN. Persia, Feb. 1I.-This
old town claims the distinction OF
having invented the high cost Of
living.
1t is alleged that war prices for food
prevailed here before Cain delivered
the first smashing blow in his Hunnish
surprise attack upon that noted neu-
trail, Abel. 1t must be true. for there
is no other way Of explaining III"
butter. Butter that must have beel
boarded away IN somebody's cellar
back in those days OF the beginning
OF things. is selling here now for Sl-21
per pound. 1t would not exactly pass
muster out in Iowa as strictly fresh.
Flour, Made in Persia" is selling
for S55 a barrel, yet some stores, by
means Of mystic figuring. manage 90
sell Persian bread for 20 cents
pound Coal sells for $50 a Ion.
though it is a local product. beilg
transported from mines only fifty "r
seventy-five miles away. Donkeys
furnish the transport. 1t is not known
what the coal is used for. Perhaps Il
is burned in the temples instead Of
incense, as there is nothing too goul
for the good old Persian god.
Sugar 81 Per Pound.
Sugar brings 81 per pound, so taffy
pulling parties are not much !nduiged
in. Fairly good coffee may be bought
for S1.S0 a pound, and tea for $1.G5.
Flour from Europe, from which real
bread may be made. is held at $1G0
barrel, and soap, which is classed as
an inexcusable luxury anyway. brings
anything the merchant can get, many
sales at 81 and more per cake being
made 10 foreigners who imagine they
have to have soap. A fairly good pair
Of shoes may be had for SOS.
IL still is possible to exist pretty
cheGply il one has no objection 20 a
use Of chicken and eggs. Chickens
are produced locally in great guam
titles. and almost every city dweIl2r
has his own feathered flock. so chick
ems may be had in the market for so
cents each, and eggs for IS cents a
dozen.
Sheep, too. are plentiful and city
broke, so mutton may be bought for
% cents a pound. The sheep-produc-
ing rural folk find that II would take
their whole fiocks to buy shoes for
the family. so they go shoeless and
feast on mutton from sun to sun.
The butter is too much revered for its
age and power to be eaten by the
proletAriat.
transportation facilities are scarce
" ideal here, and this always has
been given as the chief reason for
the high cost of living. The war, Of
course, has furnished another good
reason, and the Persian peddIer has
been as ready as the American butch
er with that patriotic slogan. "It's on
account OF the war. you know"
The Persian. too, shares with his
American brethren that painful and
embarrassing hesitancy to change
suddenly to. ''On account of the peace,
you know" and compromises by say
ing nothing except that it is terrible
about the Bolsheviki and the dry
weather
Everything is carried long dis
tances on donkeyback or by camel.
An automobile in the streets Of Te-
heran attracts as much attention as
would camel train operating on a
New York or Chicago elevated line.
Persia once produced almost as
many Persian rugs as Hoboken, n.
j., but the war almost swept away
the markets for these luxuries.
Hence the problem of unemployment
has entered into the simple life of
Teheran. Crops were bad last sea-
son. Americans, including the mis-
sionaries, have been active in distrib-
uting relief by means Of funds col
lected in America.