New-York tribune., 1920-01-18
:. aMealless Days" Are
sEnforced by Hotels and
R,staurants to Protest
4 Drastic Regulations
l.other Crisis Is Near
* Of Supplies and Fines
ior Breaking Rationing
Rules May Cause Trouble
Bv William c. Dreher

s.is and restaurants OF the city
ssrnsd serving meals to guests for two
Il was q strike extending from
8 yreat hotels that cater to the inter-
s,,oonaI public down to the smallest
tsJnr house Of the working people
ssn the high priced restaurants on
Ear den Linden, where epicures can
If feed with gusto, down to the hum
i /. mtinr places Of teamsters and other
1fuEng folk.
ms hotels continued to take guests,
1 not one morsel Of food or one sip
drink was served. The walters, in
q. wore given q vacation; kitchens
a closed down tight.
ne strike grew out Of complex con-
s;ous. The German government has
wu struggling for four years to feed
7 people with inadequate food sup
les. It has done all that perhaps was
umsnlt possible to obtain an equitable
srjbution Of the scanty stocks. But
vn the very beginning Of tho ration
md maximum price system persons
~ to evade the regulations, and
anns the last two years Of the war
as lad become . joke. Hunger had
d them to tatters. Under the pres
m Of hunger almost everybody
neAt himself justified In buying
u xhsrsver 1t was offered and at
hsisssr priee be chose to pay With
ii ukine any questions.
Ration System u Joke
lle undermining Of the government.s
,fsaing system had already made
ut progress before the end Of the
Z, but the revolution swept awav
nt Of what the war had left. It
huyed moral scruples at the dinner
as . It did everywhere else. Hence
y regulations have this year become
rs and more a dead letter. The
na card is still rigidly maintained,
&sd and meat and potato cards still
\ issued, but in restaurants no
tr has for months demanded from
either a meat or potato card. |
I R been able to eat all the meat that
irpetite required-and that in first
p nstaurants-and never a question
PED about my meat cards, which /
sa!ly had In my pocket.
AL this year the government has
sa struggling in vain to enforce the
Thtions. Its efforts have been d.
FED however, less at these small
sngements in the restaurants than
Ne illicit traders-the so-called
kak traders" or "Schieber'-who
play most important role in
Nylng hotels, restaurants and the
rs Of the wealthier classes with
n sutside Of the regulations and at
ricus prices. In proportion as sun
r. seza abseEhadLsin those channels
sessrnment was forced to reduce
regulation allotments to the gen
population, and German house
spers now tell me that the problem of
kding their families is growing moro
ID more difficult. especially with re-
ect to meats and fats.
Farmers Made Complaints
As the situation changed from bad
vorse the government grew per-
eSed- There were powerful interests
aaoring for the abolition of all the
/ q regulations. The farmers in par
gar were reiterating their com
ssn as TO the low maximum prices
Mf grain and wheat; they could
san living, they protested. The
siament became uncertain Of it's
'laaa ana began to experiment with
suEfed trading. At first oats were
4 narrated from control, but the
anent has not worked well, for
s an nsw selling at fourfoId more
uaeat or rye. Hence such farm
. are without patrioic scruples
R - feeding these cereals to pigs
s. alses and selling oats. Still less
sous farmers or merchants are
ng wheat and rye across the
where, owing to the high
/. 8 sDroad and the vast deprecia-
derman money - enormous
sampt the snnuggier.
n.ouestly the government could
Hnay abolish the raticninr sys-
tW example, the price paid by
sfnment for wheat is now 4BO
sen and for rye 410 marks. On
nsF hand, Argentine wheat costs.
sown at Hamburg, 1880 marks,
erican rye 1910 marks q ton.
Z "iaent that If the government
% away with its system Of
prices and public control the
Sresd would in q short time
1 least five to seven times the
Wiee-and that would in turn
dangerous social commissions.
to the fear of this that the
now prefers to hold down
nsess, even though it must i'm
- grain and make up through
Ds,ts. ~ the further issue of ire
paper money. the difference
u price and tho homo price
sst to Control Supplies
seemed, therefore. no other
,ssa tnan to mako another he-
{ TO keep control of tho food
II seemed absolutely essen
aceomplish this, that Illicit
.. stamped out, and to accom-
!. - 81 infringements Of the reg
"a ssuld have to be punished
ssIeusiy. The whole tribe Of
= and sneak traders" must
~ sae MT hard, was the govern
81 - this situation It nnalIy
b g ordinance about the end
- eer, which provides for the
ssss OF special courts for
y. disposal Of cases against
: unity Of breaking the regu-
~ ven az for moro drastic
Fzs n These so-cailed "Usury
- ae- word usury includes in
i "a. s1esssiye prices AZ we'll as
interest charges--ars in
~ try cases by summary
81. row tar they shall admit
- - lett wholly TO their own
~ and from their decisions
- a2peal, though an ordinary
~ nay in some casss order
or undertake a new trial
sty sfs TO take action against
spsrstors who charge ex-
( k,essr but slso against 9ivers
~ of bribes and against ex-
FOODS which have been de-
II tHs Economic Minister 20
t'ss Of life.
4 nvy Fines Levied
n: have been mads much