Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-02-06
R)FTEERS REVEL
WHILE POOR WANT
N RAB|D Vienna

rsb s.-The authorities re.
y. .ntbOrized the population to cus
'' ,.se from the municipal forests
- ..round Vienna as much wood
US "a no borne on the back three
= ,askly The plan was meant'to
-, the pressing need of people VINO
p' !, not buy or obtain from the
~ ~. ration enough fuel to cook with.
f' fortnight's experiment showed
..,,h the complete destruction of
tna'' 'narh " forest park of $50 acres,
ohs ssf ! fraction of the wood went as
onp .ssa while organized bands or
in'."ss ,',ssrs cut and sold 10000, 900
'ius.' ssa incident is typical of profiteer-
~ aoraitions in this capital. The pa
~ a,s M daily report the frustrated or sue
lsssf',I ~ M smuggling and out of the coun-
81 .' - eontraband articles and commo-
y ,.,,ss : 4 band of Spanish smugglers
49, ~. csnsht recently on the southern
sos,,sr 49, with large quantities Of gold,
.i'vsr s and platinum which they were
s., ..,ang 10 take out in automobiles. The
,aw s,s exchange value of the Austrian
rvown ~ makes smuggling a tempting
ssr,s and men take desperate chances.
Ths frontiers are guarded closely ana
.rsryone searched, but the left hand
Is unchecked.
Money can still buy any necessity or
.nv luxury here. While the mass of the
naople are hungry and cold and ill-clad
the sulendid hotels and restaurants con
tIpue 80 crowded that it is impossible
a he served unless a reservation is
made for table. In crowns the prices
arc fabulous. A simple meal costs the
months salary of an office man, yet
nrofteers and alien spectators now
tbrong the eating houses as wen as the
eabarets and amusement places of all
kinds.
On the one hand is luxury and reck-
less spending and on the other starva-
lion. The swarms Of street beggars
increased, men women and children
with their inslstent appeals. The cheap
er coffee houses are filled from OPEN
ing to closing with those drawing their
Il crowns daily out Of work subsity.
Strikes and threatened strikes bring
enormous increases of pay, and pros
trate under in all, is the middle class,
the professional and clerical ranks who
have neither organization nor resource
and they are not entitled to out of
work pay nor enabled in any way to
increase their incomes.
Vienna presents curious contrasts.
Nearby is a shop once famous for its
delicacles Its windows are dressed
with timed salmon, a few sardlnes,
both to be had only on a fat ration
card some imitation liquors and scaly
boxing bonbons.
In the great shopping streets of the
inner city the windows are filled with
magnificent furs, works Of art, tailor
ed costumes, dainty silks and otherwo-
mems wear, Jewels and other articles
dc luxe. But for sturdy clothing, for
shoes and woolens, for those things
that populace needs in hard winter
cline, for fats and flour and sugar, one
can search Vienna in vain. A diamond
Or rare painting, tapestry or sable
coat, dainty glassware or exquisite lea
lher and porcelains things can be
leund in karnestrasse or the Graben
oi the smart shop streets that radiate
from them, but the owner of any one
o. them will sell you more readily
Tor bacon, flour or sugar than for
crowns Recently many shops have re-
FUSED to sell except for established
iofeign monies, although such a pro-
eeaure is in direct violation of the
law.
tne government daily quotes the Of
nSial rate OF exchange at which foreign
nOney VIII be cashed in its own bu-
,eau' put this means nothing as affect
ms private transactions in banks and
rIn ," money changes. Some days these
~m sFe from ten to twenty points
,..', ~o,s Ut less than the official rate ac-
,orolng a'' TO their own judgment of CON
,SOus' ss Ihere are daily raids on Illicit
s aYass changers in cafes, hotel corri-
Po".. ,a ana in the side streets of the
,,o..s vulst' often netting millions of
eFoWns. but the ga,,,o go.