Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-12-02
GERMANY TO CUT
MONOPOLY PRICES
Coal, Iron, Potash and Rail
Rates to Be Brought to
World Levels.
BY EDGAR ANsEL MowRER.

BERLIN, Germany, December a
Controlled prices of coal, iron and pot
ash and railway freight tariffs in Ger
many are going to be reduced This
is the glad news contained in the COM
ing batch of new emergency DEGREES
to be published presumably at the end
of this week
For years the failure of these articles
to follow the world price movement
owing to controlled or monopoly prices
has been the greatest single hinder
ance. except perhaps the monstrous
tariffs on imported grain and food
stuffs, to Germany's har.nonizing with
the downward world trend.
Wage Cuts Also Loom.
If, now, an appreciate price re-
duction will be forced by the cabinet,
there may be hopeful utterance of
general price reduction, which is an
absolute necessity. Naturally the pill
will also contain bitter center name
ly, in that the wages of all govern
ment, state and municipal employees
Will be further reduced to approx
mately the 1927 level.
But this was foregone conclusion
anyway, with a total floating debt or
deficit for the Reich, the states and
the municipalities which threatens to
pass 1000, 900 900, as estimated for
the close of the present fiscal year at
the end of next March.
Today the Germans really are max
ing the greatest efforts at economy
and really are admitting that nearly
bankrupt country must have living
standard below that of countries which
are still largely solvent. 1t must be
remembered that Germany Is coun-
try which Is forced to import rawstuffs
and some food In order to live. BY
paying national farmers monstrous
prices, it may be possible to make the
country largely independent of foreign
countries IN respect to food, but raw
stufts the country must have.
Debt Payments Endangered.
The present world tendency to
strange international trade will cut
particularly at two countries, Germany
and Great Britain, both of which live
to a large extent on export trade. II
the present strangulation continues
the German outlook will become
catastrophe.
German imports already in the course
OF four years have been reduced in
money value by SO per cent and in
bulk by about one-third, and further
reduction seems impossible. If now
the world refuses to allow a German
export surplus, then any payment of
debts or reparations becomes frankly
impossible and furthermore an immense
number of German export industries
will have to close their doors.
Meanwhile new restrictions on foreign
exchange seem to be doing their work,
since there has been no losses In cur
rency cover now for about two weeks.
Fascist Moves Opposed.
The executive council of the Social
Democratic party, the strongest in the
Reich, unanimously adopted a resolu-
ton yesterday not to yield an inch in
its fight against fascism and social
reaction, and to demand from Chancel-
lor Bruening stronger defense of the
constitution.
The party, with the full support of
trade unions, rejected moves to lower
wage levels
Appointment of a food dictator"
also was forecast today.
NO definite date has been set for the
appointment. but 1t was said the ofriciaI
would probably come from the ministry
OF economics and be empowered auto
matically to 1educe wages and costs of
industrial and food products. He would
also have the power, it was said. to pre-
vent wage cuts in factories unless
similar saving were passed along to the
consumer.
(Copyright, 1917