The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-09-24

NIne followlnB interesting account IN
the Manchester Guardian OF present day
, life in, middle class, Germany Is written
By. lady who has Just returned to Eng
land after spending nearly six weeks in
Frankfort. Throughout her visit she
stayed In private houses. SC that she
was more In touch with the domestic
life OF the people than Is possible for
the ordinary newspaper correspondent
who Is generally restricted TO hotels for
his accommodation)
All the evil conditions which have
resulted from the war and which are
deplorable here exist in Germany only
to a far greater degree. The high cost
OF living and the consequent UNDER
Feeding, the social unrest and the
strikes, the shortage of coal and its
results, the disproportion of pay for
manual and intellectual work, the
prohteering, the superficiality and i'm
mortality the unemployment, the
housing and the servant problem. the
shortage of raw materials and goods
OF all kinds. which we know in Eng
land. can be multiplied by 2, by 10, or
even by 20. to represent the conditions
In Germany. There Is not actually
much to tell that Is new In kind, but
the effect which a disorder OF such d.
mansions has on peoples lives Is diff
ferent, and with this effect, neces-,
sQrily not a good one, we are con-
cerned for two reasons: We want to
face these facts In order to mitigate
some of the suffering of thousands OF
innocent people as far as we are able,
and, secondly, In order to avoid SINH
lar suffering in our country by taking
timely measures.
From the steps taken to solve the
housing problem, for instance, we
might learn something ourselves. No
person In Germany is allowed to have
two houses for his own use. There Is
also In most towns a proper system
OF billeting homeless people on those
who have any spare room at all.
Frankfort Is one of the towns In
which this is carried through most
strictly. owing TO the great influx of
Alsatian refugees and OF students to
the university founded there just be-
fore the war. There Ia hardly n mid
die or upper class family which has
no stranger living under the same
roof. In the case of big houses n
whole story has to be given UP, and Is
converted into one or more fats. Peo-
pie living In flats have to give up the
attics belonging to them, and, should
family actually requires, even rooms
within the fiat have to be coded. No
spare rooms are allowed, Visitors
must go TO hotels, provided they can
md room there,
These measures, though not yet /
completed, are carried out very thor
oughly. Committees visit every house, !
of which they have exact plans, and +
decide on the number of rooms which
have 10 be given UP. Neither age nor
illness Is taken into account A rea-
sonahle. rent 10 paid for the rooms !
taken, and an allowance Ia made for
necessary alterations and for the put
ting in OF stoves and kitchen ranges
for the dodgers cannot demand the
right OF using the kitchen and bath
room OF the owner, though II Is often
granted by private arrangement. In
cases where circumstances and social
standing allow II, the ledger becomes
n boarder TO simplify matters. This
upsetting of the home and family life,
with its many complications, Is the
despair of the housewives, for those
who were not wise enough to choose
their dodgers themselves In good timo
often get the most unpleasant people
thrust upon them, and must live with
them In daily fear for such OF their
as is accessible 20 the I'M
welcome guest,
The Impoverished Professional Glass.
But the greatest problem which each
family hns TO face Is how to find the
means OF livelihood, to keep pace with
The ever rising cost OF living, There as
here the wages OF the working class OF
business men is doing extremely well,
put there MS here the salaries OF pro-
tcssional men have risen very little, and
though tho government is trying to
help them by grants. salaries cannot
keep step with the extraordinary rise
VI prices, When. 20 give an instance,
the price Of n necessity such as fat can
rise from ihh0m In October TO 2Sm. In
February. and when many articles rise
TO double their former prices in few
months time, Il IL too much TO expect
any small hNed income to he elastic
enough 20 meet the case II salaries and
wages have risen 20 allow NJ least OF
some approximation Of income to eN-
nenditure, those dependent on pensions
and the interest on a small capital, am
pie enough before the war to assure
life TO an old couple or
maiden lady. are now absolutely un-
,hle 60 maintain their former standard
" living, An such people, and practi-
ally all professional men and officials, |
IRE now living on their capital, and
where the capital is small. are viewing
The future with great anxiety There
are many respectable families who are
slowly selling all their silver. and viii
rot know what TO do when the last
soon has gone.
IL Is very sad 90 sec this class o'
people going under for II Is going under
by degrees and many disappear entirely
TO mako room for the new society,
Those nouvcauN pauvres were tho true
citizens who most canscientiously
nh'Ncd Tho heavy restrictions laid down
IN the rauoning laws and who were the