Omaha daily bee., 1920-02-01
MUNY YFORESTSAT
vienna OPEN TO.
PUBLIC FOR FUEL.
Profiteers Destroy 150.Acre
Forest Park by Cutting
Wood and Selling at
High Prices.

Vienna, Jan. 3l.-The authorities
recently authorized the population
to cut and take from the municipal
forests that surround Vienna as
much wood as could be borne on the
back three times weekly. The plan
was meant to meet the pressing need
of people who could not buy or OBJ
tain from the public ration enough
fuel 10 cook with.
A fortniaht's experiment showed
that. with the complete destruction
Of one superb forest park of $50
acres, only fraction OF the wood
went as intended, while organized
bands of profiteers cut and sold TO-
100000 crowns worth.
,,. The incident is typical Of prohteer-
ing conditions in this capital. The
papers daily report the frustrated or
successful smuggling out of the
country Of contraband articles and
commodities. A band of Spanish
smugglers recently were caught on
the southern frontier with large
@uantities of gold, silver and plati-
mum which they were trying to take
out in automobiles. The low ex-
change value Of the Austrian crown
makes smuggling tempting game
and men take desperate chances.
The frontiers are guarded closely
and everyone searched, but the left
hand trade is unchecked.
Months Salary for Meal.
Money can still buy any necessity
or any luxury here. While the mass
Of the people are hungry and cold
and ill-clad, the splendid hotels and
restaurants continue so crowded that
it is impossible to be served unless
reservation is made for table. In
crowns the prices are fabulous. A
: simple meal costs the months salary
of an Office man, yet prohteers and
alien spectators throng them as we'll
as the cabarets and night amusement
places Of all kinds. -
On the one hand iss~luxury and
reckless spending and On the other
starvation. The sWarms OF street beg
gars increase, men, women and chill
dren with their insistent appeals.
The cheaper coffee houses are filled
from opening to closing with those
drawing their Is crowns daily of out
Of work Subsidy. Strikes and threat
ened strikes bring enormous in
creases Of pay and, PROSTATE under
it all, is the middle class, the pro-
fessional and clerical ranks who have
neither organization nor resource.
They are not entitled to out OF work
pay nor enabled in any way to in
crease their incomes.
Vienna presents curious contrasts.
Nearby is ! shop once famous for its
Gelicacies. Its windows are dressed
with timed salmon, few sardines,
both to be had on fat ration card,
some imitation liquors and scaly
looking bon bons.
Luxuries Are Plentiful.
In the great shopping streets Of
the inner city the windows are filled
with magnihcent furs. works Of art,
tailored costumes. dainty silks and
ether women's wear. jewels and
other articles de luxe. But for sturdy
clothing. for shoes and woollens. for
those things that a populace needs in
a 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 leather
and porcelain things can be found
on the Karnestrasse or the Graben
or the smart shop streets that radi-
ate from them, but the owner of any
one Of them will sell you more read
lily for bacon, flour or sugar than for
crowns. Recently many shops have
refused to sell except for established
foreign monies. although such pro-
cedure. is in direct violation Of the
law.
The government daily quotes tire
official rate Of exchange at which
foreign money will be eashed i'll its
own bureau, but this means nothing
as affecting private transactions in
banks and with money changers.
Some days these will give from ten
to twenty points more or less than
the official rate according to their
own judgment Of conditions. There
are daily raids on illicit money
changers in cafes, hotel corridors
and in the side streets of the Bourse.
often netting millions OF crowns. buf
the game gees on.