The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-09-08
"RULE WITHOUT RULE"
Is Said to Have Prevailed in Italy's In
dustrial Regions.

Rome, Sept. Correspondence OF the
Associated pressl Intermittent and
sporadic strikes which have produced
throughout Italy conditions in some in.
stances approximsting bolshevism in
Others a kind Of socialism and in still
others localized anarchy, have given ltal.
ian political economists and statesmen
new spurs to study and remedial action.
There has been "rue without rule
according to foreign observers. The gov
eminent agencies long established for
the administration OF public affairs ex-
listed but failed 10 function. Municipal
authorities, communal officials and rep
! resentatives Of the state admitted they
were helpless to deal with the unusual
situations which rendered inactive the
prerogatives of those in power Striking
workmen forced demands upon helpless
commercial class, it is pointed out, while
! the authorities merely looked on in
obedience to the will of the disturbers"
The organizations throughout Italy
| that planned the newest departure in
governmental and economic administra.
! tion were styled Camera del Lavoro A
literal translation would define them as
chambers Of labor, but the functions
went much beyond the province of labor,
as one ordinarily conceives that prov.
ince, 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 "ad-
venture His stocks were Communicated
bv the Camera del Lavoro, if he did not
show the disposition to sell at the prices
fixed by that organization In most
cases, the arbitrary reduction Of so per
cent was exacted on all commodities re-
CARELESS 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 reductions as
low as 20 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 storekeeper needed be
tween 10 and 80 soldiers or policemen te
keep the crowd in order. There was suct
rush for bargains that, in many places
the situation quickly changed to violent
disorder. in which many innocent womer
and children were either trampled upoI
or received painful handling by th'
mobs.
In the case Of food, there was little t
be done but to hand the ready custom
ers the product for which they asked
Canned meats could be handed out with
out much trouble Wine, which is NJ
luxury in Italy, was sold at consider
able reduction, one dollar TASKS goint
in many cases for Is cents. Wine coulC
be easily handled and sold. So coul;
vegetables and fruits and the usual tabh
products. -
But, when it came TO the distribution
of clothing and shoes, the real troubl
began. While the clothing establish
ments did not receive as much rush a
the shoe establishments, they wer
crowded enough and the scramble 70
proper sizes and fittings was a veritabl
lcatch- as catch can The attempts Of tn
statesmen and saleswoinen Of the shops t
serve patrons was failure. and the
contented themselves merely with re
ceiving the small cash payments tina
were made by the bargain hunters.