The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-02-10
Starving in Palaces

The terrible plight of Vienna, the
widespread starvation among the peo-
pie, has attracted the sympathy of
the whole world. But there is one
respect in which the Vienna workman
is better off than his fellows any
where else in the world-and that is
in housing. Rent restrictions have
placed truly palatial quarters within
reach of even the poorest, as the fol-
lowing notes from the correspondent
of the Berlin Vossische Zeitung show:
"The town of Vienna is spending
annually at the present time one and
cne half billion crowns Zone and a
half million dollars) for public well
fare. 1t supports the largest infrma-
ries and the largest lunatic' asylums in
the world. Fifty crowns per head
are needed to provide the old men and
women, who can no longer live but
are not yet able to die, with bare ne
cessities. The nourishmcnt which is
granted would not be sufficient to keep
working man on his legs This
amount is barely sufficient for the veg
etating existence of the 10000 inhabi-
tants of the Vienna charitable institu-
tions. Anyone who has a wife and
three children to keep, needs 250,OOO
crowns (two hundred and fifty dol
lars) year to keep up a standard of
life equal to that of the workhousc.
The director of the largest hospital in
Vienna is paid $4,000 crowns ($212)
a year"
"Dowries are no longer asked after
in Vienna. A million is nothing at
all. Moderate smokers need the in
terest of such a fortune for cigar
cites"
1T is almost more difficult to get
an apartment in Vienna than in Berlin
in spite of the number of inhabitants
having decreased by more than 2OO,-
600. This need of apartments can only
be explained that the rent has dis
appeared. Formerly the workman had
to spend the fourth or fifth part of
his wages for any old corner. He
lived worse than any class of people
in middle Europe. Besides the family
with their grown-up and married chill
dren, an ordinary apartment of two
rooms would be occupied by dodgers,
who in many cases would change dur
ing the night inshifts. The regula-
tiOns for the protection of the tenant
have had the result that such an
apartment costs about a thousand
crowns ($D year. This must be
compared with the wages per hour of
skilled workman inthe city, which
amount to two hundred crowns (about
% cents.) 1t is certain that under
such conditions nobody will take in
lodgers, and people who were satisfied
until now with any kind of refuge
now aim at having their own home.
"At the same time the old houses
Of Vienna are always becoming more
rotten and dilapidated; for the pro-
prietors are all ruined.
The following belongs to the stories
which might be true:
Shortly before the outbreak of
war a Vienna merchant quarreled
with Swiss customs official. He was
even imprudent enough to give the of
fetal box on the ear. This box on
the ear has now brought him in quite
large sum of money. He had at
that time to leave behind a thousand
francs as bail, in order to be allowed
to leave. A short while ago he decided
to give himself up to the Swiss justice
and he was condemned to pay fifty
francs. After paying his travelling
and other expenses there still remain
ed 10000 crowns over"