Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-04

Special CORRESPONDENT of Great Falls Tribune
Copyright. 1922. by The Great Falls Tribune
Continuing his trip through the
black forest, MIR. Bird made an
other amazing and, he admits, a
pleasing discovery. He found that
In that section at least the bur-
densome taxes complained Of by
other tourists do not exist.)
Triberg, Baden, Sept. 3.-In the
heart of Black forest, might to the ig-
norant call up visions of wilderness
savage beasts and nocturnal m%arauders
But, timorous reader, be treasured
You would be far more likely to meet
a bear or a puma in a city park. where
now and then they escape from the zoo
and bandits are much more common in
the Bots De Bolougne than hereabouts
We are in a luxurious hotel. We
have a private bath with a shower. A
little pink shaded reading lamp is be
side each twin bed and a steam radi-
ator underneath the window and would
be drowning out the guitars that waste
mellow harmonies in the distance, but
for the fact that it is midsummer and
radiators-Gott sci dank-make music
only when full of steam.
Below stairs there is 9 bar with dark
oaken tables and deep leather chairs,
and when you sink into the cushions
after. the long climb up the hills from
the railroad station a smiling ~fraulein
places a "wein karte' before you.
Stops to Calculate
Let's see: Rheinwein, mohelwein,
hfalzwein, franzoesische, suedwein. no.
Here we are: Likeoere. Hello. what S
that? Black and White, 25 mix. Let
us calculate-about three cents; six
Black and White. bite farulein. 1t is
brought. Six tall glasses with a por-
ton of reddish fluid in each-none too
generous as to quantity, but what can
you expect at the price? Bottles of
mineral water accompany the glasses.
But the color of the liquid sus-
picion. No Scotch ever had that bricky
tinge. We taste with misgivings. 1t is
certainly not Scotch. What horrible
substitute has been palmed off on US!
We call the manager and register a
kick. This. we tell him. is a reputable,
first-class hotel. catering to a distin-
guished clientele. 1t cannot afford to
sell imitation Scotch. If he has not
Scotch. very well, but scratch 1t off
the card.
The manager is apologize. I'VE had
Scotch when the card was printed but
it is gon But what | am serving
is really good whiskey."
We sternly object again. One of US
demands TO see the bottle.
The manager, with more apologies.
gets it. We read:
James E. Pepper. Lexington, Ky"
With some difficulty we restrain
u impulse to stand up and cheer.
We give the manager the impression
that our wrath is slightly appeased..
We kick each other under the table.
We bite our lips to keep from laugh
ing. Some people might scOrn us for
not knowing we were drinking until
we saw the label. But, scorner, have
YOU ever gone to Il dark pantry shelf
and taken a nibble of chocolate, think
ing ii was cheese? And who would
dream of finding pre-war American
whiskey in the heart of the Black for
est.
No Horrible Taxes
Thus far we have not met any of
those horrible taxes wherewith the
German state is said to ~overwhelm
the bargain hunting tourist. We pay
700 marks a day for room and bath
with board. With bath it is only $50
anu Ia per NthN tAbId Ipi stANNV IA
lieu of tips. The horrible tax is
another Is per cent but not of the
whole sum-only on n fourth of it.
supposing to represent the value of
the room alone.
Everything is on thee same scale. Our
railroad tickets from Freiburg to Tri-
berg, a three-hOur journey half the
time with two engines putting on the
steep mountain grades. cost less than
Is cents each. The railroads total
revenue from that train could not have
been over sixty dollars. All the laws
of finance and economics are being
flouted in the German nation and no
body appears to be n the worse for
it. | have talked with German mer-
chants who say frankly-and | believe
honestly-that their prices for goods
are lower than prevailing wholesale
rates. If they sell ms a suit of
clothes (pure WOOL for 5000 marks
they are making a profit of perhaps
1000 marks on what they paid for it.
But to replenish their stock they pay
LOCO marks.
But that is nonsense. one excalims.
WHY should a merchant sell an arti-
Gle for 5000 marks and then TURF
round and buy it again for l,0002'
Ii is nonsense. under all laws of
business. But that is how business is
conducted in Germany today. And the
ignoring of business common sense"
is what is retarding the total 'ec0no-
mic collapse of Germany.