New Ulm review., 1922-02-01
MR.. AND MRS. JOSEPHWAENKE
THEIR TWO SONS, AND
TWO FRIENDS,
CONDITIONS IN FATHERLAND
ALMOST UNBEATABLE.
LIVING COSTLY.

anu huIC, dSeu o, dIIiVeu Ill 1NeW OlAA
from that country, last Tuesday, in
company with their friends, Erna and
Ellie Henkel, aged II and Is years,
respectively. While food is not as
scarce as it was during and immediate
ly following the World war, still the
exorbitant prices charged then con-
tinue and the present cost of living
outdistances the earning capacity Of
the average working-man.
Fifteen Days Enroute.
The newcomers sailed from Ger
many, January S, and the ocean voyage
required Is days, due to a heavy sea.
They all escaped illness on the trip, but
there were large number of cases Of
seasickness among the other pas
sengers. The voyage was made on the
steamer Bayern (Bavaria) Of the
United American Lines, which docked
in New York harbor on Friday,
January 20. The following morning
the passengers were allowed to dis
embark and were taken to Ellis Island,
where they were held until Satui day
afternoon. Considerable difficulty was
encountered in securing the release OF
the two girls accompanying the
Waenke family, but the matter was
finally adjusted when John Bongards
of this city, father of Mrs. Waenke,
gave surety for their release. The
party Immediately boarded train for
New Ulm. .,..". r
Native of Bohemia. w., -..,s
Mr.. Waenke is native of Boherria,
Austria, but removed to Bochum,
Westphalia, Germany, when still a
young man. Bochum is a large in
dustrial center and he conducted a
mercantile business there for eight
years, until disposing Of it recently to
come to the United States. He carried
a varied stock of goods, including
drugs, toys, wall paper, etc. Mrs.
Waenke, nee Agnes Bongards, was
born in Rhineland, Germany, and came
to America nearly 16 years ago. After
remaining here with her father for
some two years, she returned to the
Fatherland and had since resided
there.
Wages Low; Living High.
The German working-man has about
the same, difficult problems to. solve,
relative to, providing a living. for, his
family, as + his fellow-workman in
the United States. ., One of the phases
of this problem is how to, keep his
family alive. on daily wage, Of from
so to 100 marks, when, it costs f50
marks to provide for family Of four
or five members. Aside. from that, a
10 per cent war tax is deducted from
his daily wage before he even sees the
money. This war tax is imposed up
on every wage-earner, even on girls
and women working as housemaids,
etc.. In addition to his personal in
come tax, every merchant and business
man must pay an extra excise on his
business. There are so many different
kinds of taxes as a result Of the wal
that it is. difficult to, even keep track Of
them. ~ ,s.-,r .l ~ .=s.S~
Mr.. Waenke will maintain business
connections with. factories and export
ing firms in Germany and may later
decide to engage in business for himself
in New Ulm, selling toys, dolls and r
other articles Of German manufacture.
Four Years in War. i.
During the World war, Mr.. Waenke
served four years in the German army
stationed on the Serbian front, but
escaped injury. He did, however
suffer with typhus for about eigh7
weeks during the latter part Of De
cember, 1915, and was sent home tt
recuperate, arriving there on Christ
mas Day. After being stationed a
various garrison points in Austria, n
was ordered to Vienna, the capital
where he spent the time from Septem
Der, 1915, to April, 1918. Condition
were terrible there then and are any
thing but favorable at the presen
time. When the Austrian revolution
broke forth in all its fury, he wa
stationed at an officers barracks a
Grossenzerdorf, Austria. The frs
inkling Mr.. Waenke had Of the revc
luton was when Austrian arm
officers returned to Grossenzerdol
from trip to Vienna and stated tina
the civilian population Of the capita