The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-10-14

SuuctoQ IQCtO1l6S, lis WeOltnY
stricken working CLOSES; the
picture is fundamentally the
sunle.
Indicative of the confusion re-
sulting from the war, the disso-
luton of Mussolini's fascist state
and the development of a repub-I
lie are the 80 political parties,
none Of which have anything
like majority support, and all of
which - although their aims are
similar-are suspicious of the
Others and hesitant to combine
with any for fear of betrayal of
their own principles. IS
In general, the people of Italy
in all walks of life and of all po-
.litical. faiths except Communism,
concede that Premier Alcide de
IGasperi's government is a group
of sincere men, genuinely inter-
Iested in the rehabilition and, de-
+velopment of Italy and the well
fare of her pepole. But it is a
weak government-so weak that
in spite of federal controls and
+rationing the black market flour
ishes as openly-and without APP
parent government interference
as any legal business enterprise
in America.
Cigarettes = u. S. Navy sea
stores and Army P. X, as well as
packages bearing the U. S. gov
eminent revenue stamps are
sold openly on little table stands
on the sidewalks everywhere in
Italy, at approximately 75c per
pack. Theoretically the govern
ment controls the manufacture
and distribution of tobacco and
imposes revenue tax. Under the
open black market, however, the
government is reputed to be los
ing 700.000,000 lire per day in po-
tential revenue from cigarettes.
This is only one example.
There are, theoretically, food
controls which ration bread,
meat, flour, etc. But the rations
are so small that the average
Italian buys on the black market,
at highly inflated prices. This is
true also of cloth used for making
children's and adults clothing
and most of that is home made,
because ready made clothing is
far too expensive. 'a =
The visiting American lives
luxuriously because his dollars
are worth anywhere from 500 to
700 lire-purchased again on an
open black market. An American
is constantly and openly APP
preached on the streets with Of,
fers to buy dollars, always "at
a good price" The legal rate of
exchange, for commercial pur-
poses is 225 lire to the dollar,
with a somewhat higher legal
rate for tourists. The black mar
ket rates are published daily in
the newspapers.
Thoughtful and wel-informed
Italians say that the government
cannot 'crack down" on black
market operations in food be-
cause the present system of ma
tional food distribution, develop
ed with the fall of Fascism, the
German occupation, the Allied
occupation and the postwar Pc
riod, is the black market. If this
system folded up, it might mean
starvation.
There is also the question of
cost-to government which, al
ready overStaffed with person.
mel, cannot afford uniformed po-
lice and inspectors to check black
market operations.
At the same time, a weak at
tempt is made to control food
prices at the source. The control
led price for wheat at the farm
is $500 lire per initial GOO Ibs.).
But the cost of production is
nearer 5000 lire per quintal-and
the farmer can sell all he can
hide from the government in
spectors, at 10000 lire per quin-
tai on the black market. And
France, Switzerland and Yugosla-
via are in the black market, buy
ing wheat for secret export. Thus
government crop predictions,
however accurately made, usual
ly. are high. The farmer always
has a poor CROP.
In comparison with the cost of
living-which means using the
black market-wages are extre-
mely low. Italy has been for
years a three-class country, with
a wealthy upper class, a reason
ably well-to-do middle class, and,
a poor lower class. Now the up
per ciass-represented by the in
dustrialists (some of whom keep
two sets of books, one for them
selves. another for. the govern