The Washington herald., 1921-01-10

customers has already been stretch
ed to the limit. so that the in
creased price will be more than
they can afford to pay.
Protest Price of Leather.
Yesterday an indignation meet
ing was held as a protest against
the excessive increase in the price
Of leather and it's disastrous effects
on the shOemakers' trade. 1t was he
lieved that this increase was due
to the excessive profits on the part
of the dealers. but according to the
president of the chamber of COM
merce this is not the cause. Leath-
er, since it was de-controlled, has
increased rapidly in price, and this.
coupled with the increase in labor
costs, has forced the dealers to
raise their prices in order to make
a fair profit. A pair of shoes at
1000 kroner represents only a mod
crate profit to the shop keeper.
One of the factors which have
contributed largely to the failure
of Austrian industry to recuperate
is the coal supply. Austrians have
come to realize that, as long as
their country has it's present boun-
daries, the coal shortage will be
permanent. and the only solution
seems to be the development of hy-
ro-electric power to take the place
Of coal in their industry.
With this in mind, in March. 1920
the Austrian cabinet council drew
up plans for the expenditure OF
S,OoO,OO0 for the exploitation of
Waterpower and for the electrifca-
tion of railways in mountainous dis
tricts. 1t was anticipated that the
expenditure of this sum would COW
er the period of about five years
Some progress has already been
made in carrying out this plan.
Waterpower stations in Vorarlberg
in process of construction or already
existing will furnish electricity for
the Mittenwald Railway. other
power stations in Salzberg and Car
inthia are also involved in this
scheme, which will developpapproxi-
mately $4,000 horsepower, equiya-
lent to a yearly output of I3O, 900. 600
to l4O,OOO,O0O kilOwatt hours and
Will save $4,000 carloads of coal per
year. The city of Vienna and the
province of Lower Austria are also
to cooperate in the erection of a
big power station on the Danube.
In Upper Austria, the Linz munich
panty and private enterprises are
to erect power stations on the
Nuhl to provide electricity for
purposes and street cars
in Linz, and to supply power for
industrial plants. Salzburg decid-
ed in July to raise a loan of so
100000 kronen to complete the sec
ond stage of the electric power sta
tiOn at Wiestal. BY way of en-
couragement of these enterprises,
the State Department has issued
publications descriptive of condi-
tlons l ong various Austrian
streams which might be utilized
Tor Waterpower. With these prof.
ects the development of the cleo
trical industries is proceeding. They
have not suffered from the general
depression affecting other indus
tries and have orders for a long
time ahead.
Many private enterprises are TAX
ing steps to adapt their plants to
the use of electricity instead of
coal Iron and steel industries of
Styria are contemplating the sub
stitution of electricity for the smelt-
ing process in the production OF
steel As the possibilities for ex-
port Of the products of the Styrian
iron and steel industries are very
good, the proposed utilization Of
waterpower seems to be a sound
financial proposition. There are at
least 10000 horsepower of water
power available for exploitation.
This, with the enconomic condi-
tions generally favorable to the for
eign investor, appears to. render the
project likely to attract foreign cap
ital to participate in its realization.