The daily worker., 1925-01-14
.GRUELLING WORK
LOT OF LABOR IN
germany today
Men, Women and Chill
dren Must Labor
Rx CARL RRANNLN.

by OAkE BkANNINs
Federated Press staff correspondent.)
HOcHST, Germany, Jan. 13.
This little village of 1900
souls midway between Frank
fort and Heidelberg affords a
picture of rural life which is
illuminating to one who comes
with Impressions of Germany
gainedchiefIy from reading.
Nestled between the wooded
slopes of the hills with noisy
little stream running thru the
town this place of red tile roofs,
half timbered houses dating
back to the 18th century and
narrow winding streets has a
charm to the newcomer familiar
with the regimented order of the
Icities.
It's Work. Work! Work.
But closer contact with the primi-
tive standard of comfort and a glimpse
of the specter who has taken up his
residence here as well as in every
city and hamlet in Germany, goes far
to dispel the atmosphere of pictur-
esqueness and uncover the hard facts
in everyday life.
In many respects life today is little
different from the days before August,
1914. People worked hard cultivating
their little patches of land or in near.
by mills and at other kinds of labor.
And yet they found the time and had
the spirit to get much pleasure out OF
community life. They had plenty to
eat and drink and no occasion to
worry for their standards were simple
and in their own small circle, they
saw no reason to doubt that they
would continue to get along.
Today the same rule of labor con.
tinues. but it has been extended to
take in all members of the family
The problem of getting a living has
become a very serious matter. The
mother steals time from her home
duties to do small jobs or to peddle
odds and ends; the children find ways
Of picking up few extra pfennigs
and, when thru the regular school al
IA, go into industry or housework
Many houses have small stocks OF
goods to sell tended by the wife Oh
children while the husband goes out
to work. Even with all hands earn
ing one wonders how the people gel
along.
Wages Low; Food Cost High.
Wages average around 81 per day
while the cost of food thruout the
nation is as high as in the United
States and sometimes higher. Coffe
from 60c to 81 per h.; bread, zoe fol
Alb. loaf; beef, 20 to 35c a lb.;
soft coal, $11 per ton. Nearly every
family has a small patch where they
raise potatoes, carrots. fruit and gar
den stuff. In this village practically
no building work is going on. If you
want to rent a house you register with
the burgomaster and take your turn
There is a cooperative store with
about 300 members and growing
patronage. 1t acts to keep down the
price of bread and other staples, but
one is impressed with the large
amount Of petty trading and shop
keeping and home industry. A pri
vately owned electric plant which
sells light at lie per XVIII and power
at less facilitates these home indus
tries.
A day in Heidelberg furnished an
other bit of information as to the
changed economic condition of the
German people. The enrolment al
the great university is only one-third
of 1913.
Another angle of the picture is pre-
sented at Erbach in this district where
the hereditary count tho deprived OF
his title by the 1918 revolution still
occupies the family palace and draws
rents and dividends from lands anC
industrial enterprises to the tune Of
100000 marks (s500,OOO) yearly. He
like SHINES, Thyssen, and the indus
trial overlords, does not need to worry
about the price of bread, blutwurst
and beer
Executive Clemency