The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-05-13

wrists and elbows and I should have demand for work is rapidly increas- ing, and eventually tens of thousands 1 Cf these former aristocrats will be so employed. As prices rise and times get better, it is hoped that the labor will receive increased pay, but the situation of Germany is such and the poor are so many that it will be a generation or more before the need of something to do disappears
 \ Baroness From SiIesia.
 While l was in the league rooms a fine looking lady, wearing long fur coat, entered bringing some hand painted china which she had made. She wanted to know if such work would sell and whether the league could handle it for her. She was told that they had no connections for such manufactures as yet, but that they could give her ome-knitting, stitching, or crteheting When the woman left she took with her several handkerchiefs which she expected to hemstitch for 3 cents apiece and of which skilled worker can finish two or three in a day She was told she could be instructed in other work without charge if she would go to replied that her home was in Silesia a half days ride from Berlin, and that she would wait, After her de- parture Miss Pawel Ramingen showed me her name, which she had penned on the record. It was that of a well known baroness.
 Where Cigars Are a Treat.
 There was some delay in getting the goods l have described. Several articles were on order and all of my purchases were brought at one time by a lady of the league to me at Il. some thousands of marks to the amount, and gave the lady herself the sum of five thousand marks, tell ing her to bup box of candy with it on her way out She was greatly delighted and shook my hand over and over again. She said she would not use 1t for candy, but it would go to buy some cigars for her hus- band, who is a government official with a salary so low that he can of ford to smoke only on Sundays. The five thousand marks, on that day, were worth less than 2 cents.
 Another lady of the league who called at my rooms had brooch and buckle of hammered brass which she had made. I paid her ore dollar for them and you cannot imagine the feeling that this seemingly eXtraor- dinary price created in her. Her eyes filled with tears and she kissed my
 
 again.
 shirts At Three For n Dime.
 Along this same line is an experi- ence l have had with beautiful sewing woman who has made me a half dozen silk shirts. l bought the silk, and she came to the hotel to get the order. She speaks English, is well educated, is about thirty years of age, and has husband. She took my measure and I gave her an old shirt as a copy. l then asked her the price and the figure. translated into American money, just equaled three cents. Upon my saying that this was too little she replied that Wertheim. who might be called the John Wanamaker of Berlin. having the largest and most aristocratic de- partment store here, paid his women workers six cents a shirt but she would not think of charging so much. l next asked how long it would take her to make a skirt, and she thought she could do one in day. She al- most fell over when l told her that l would pay at least twice the price of the department store and give her a present at the end of the job When the shirts were delivered they were beautifully made. l paid her an amount which equaled about twenty five cents shirt and she went away joyful.
 Before leaving, however she con fided to me that she had had much trouble regarding the button holes, She had given this work out to d specialist, woman who sews but ton-holes only, and this woman had charged her forty marks per button hole, which she said was "ungeheur teuer." l figured the rate out at the exchange of the day and found it was just one-tenth of cent, or one-half the widows mite of the Bible. There were ten button-holes in each shirt, and that woman made all for one cent. Take a piece of silk and work a button-hole without the aid of any machine. using needle and thread, and find out if the charge was too much.