The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-02-13
HUNGARIAN WOMEN
TRADE JEWELS FORI
PARTICLES OF COAL
Poorer Glasses In Budapest
Turn Thieves and Take Fuel
Where They Can Find It.
Serious Crisis
BY Associated Press

Budapest, February 12.Many OF the
poor people of this city are being driven
to wholesale thievery by the fuel short
age. The recent theft OF % carloads of
wood from one train of 100 CARLOADS as it
entered the city shows, the extent to
which the stealing is going on. Wood IS
SO scarce that when wagonload is
driven through the streets people stop
and gaze after it until it is out of sight.
Daring small boys are ever on the
alert for stray piece of wood or any,
thing that will give heat at home They
scainper after every passing WOO"
wagon but are soon frightened away by
long whips in the hands of two women
who sit on guard astride the load. The
operation of unloading a ton of Hun
gary's infrnior brown coal before house
attracts many neighbors who make a
pathetic picture as they watch basket
full after bucketful disappear into the
coal bin of the more fortunate one.
AMPLE URGENCY
Because Of the urgency to obtain fuel,
by dishonest means if honest ones are
of no avail, the juvenile courts were
never so crowded with youthful Offend
ers. The scarcity of fuel grows more
acute daily as winter advances. The
curtailed and people wait for hours ex-
posed to the bitter cold. The worst
operated American street car never toll
Grated such crowdng.
Gas factories are provided with coal
for only "a hours at a time and the
gas is turned on now only at noon and
after 6 o'clock. Only one light is per-
mitted in room and not more than
three rooms in house or single apart
may ho q
Even at the most expensive hotels there
lis no running hot water. Saturday is
bathing day.. On other days baths can
only be had at the public baths for
which Budapest is famous
One of the latest and most drastic
steps of the new government is the de-
portation Of undesirable citizens, those
suspected of bolshevik tendencies or who
are known to be opposed to the pres
ent form of government. Hundreds OF
these have come to Hungary since the
outbreak of the war Now their houses
and flats are being Communicated and
turned over to homeless refugees from
Pennsylvania and other sections who
have been living in freight cars in the
railroad yards.
JEWELRY SOLD
The majority of the people have
parted company with the last of their
other lands are not getting many takers
of their offers Of fabulous prices for
gold and silver. What is called the
state exchange bureau, a sort of ma
tional pawnshop, has paid as high as
80 $50 crowns for kilogram fof 10
pounds) of scrap gold and dealers are
offering 10000 crowns in an effort to
coax another kilogram from people who
may be boarding their precious metal
For pure gold $4,000 crowns kilogram
is offered, with no takers. The explana-
ton is that most Of the gold has been |
to other countries wnere the |
money has more value.
The Hungarian newspapers PRINT
warning to 10000 laborers of Hungarian
origin in the United States to desist from |
their reported intention to return to !
their native land at this time. The pa
pers say that the economic crisis in |
America can never be as bad as IT Is !
here and urged their countrynen not to |
further embarrass Hungary's unemploy-
ment problem.
AS if the countrys cup Of misery was |
not full it is now visited by an epidemic |
of hoof and mouth disease and people !!
are prohibited from buying cattle from !
neighboring states. All frontiers are |
closely watched, and all cattle within |
20 kilometers Of the border must be reg
istered with the health authorities.