FOOD TROUBLES IN GERMANY
Food Troubles in Germany Memorial of Berlin Suburb Protests Against Practice of Profiteers, Prices and Law Evasion As in the foregoing article the student may get a clear insight into conditions...
...Was Wild Competition...
...Our large establishments, like Krupp's and other establishments, have bought food-stuffs rationed to the general population...
...Note the prices paid by municipalities...
...This memorial was addressed to the War Food Bureau December 3, 1917..It was intended for distribution to other municipalities but was suppressed...
...but for the last three weeks we have had to leave the market to the big industrial firms, which pay prices quite beyond the reach of the workers...
...But how, then, are potatoes to be sold at the prescribed retail price without enormous subsidies from the municipal funds...
...The military inspectors supported this demand, and in order to prevent discontent we were compelled to buy food in the open market for distribution to the smaller establishments, even at prices exceeding the maximum prices...
...l\^OST of the foodstuffs bought by us were from abroad...
...This is due to a fodder shortage...
...only in this way were we able to satisfy the enormous demand for vegetables, and so in some measure to stem the unrest, which was largely due to discontent at the ample supply of vegetables in the other commune referred to above...
...As a rule, the armament firms, in order to get food supplies, have paid 'prices in excess of the maxima...
...The result is that large quantities of jrrain find their way into the market through the seed farms...
...MEAT SUPPLY.—The distribution is determined by the quantities of animals assigned for slaughter to the Livestock Dealer's Union...
...These conditions are due to the utter breakdown of the economic system of the imperial food authorities, as we will show in detail by single foodstuffs: GRAIN AND FLOUR—The grain and flour supply is admittedly based on a sound foundation, but a weak spot in the organization is the permission to certain estates to trade freely in seeds...
...One Berlin commune with 900 centners (992.07 hundredweight) of ammonia obtained enough vegetables to supply them to families for winter storage by the half centner, whereas in other communes there is now a dearth of vegetables...
...MILK.:—Greater Berlin is receiving even smaller supplies of milk...
...Some firms have sold to their workmen at the legal retail prices, paying the difference themselves...
...Communes which abstain from such illegalities incur the risk of finding their own citizens worse provided for than others...
...control...
...We did at least succeed in effecting a certain equalization between the workers in large and in small establishments and prevented at all events, general unrest among the working classes, so that till the beginning of October matters were fairly satisfactory...
...At times, especially last September, the deliveries were irregular...
...Sometimes as much as 3,000 centners (3,306.9 hundredweight) or over are offered, prices up to 200 marks per centner ($43.18 per hundredweight) being asked for wheat, oats and barley...
...When we declined them they were bought by another commune of Greater Berlin...
...Now importing unions have been advised by the Imperial Potato office to secure by delivery contracts potatoes not obtained on December 15...
...In a meeting held by the State distribution office for Greater Berlin it was established that all the Greater Berlin communes there represented had exceeded the maximum price for vegetable...
...Even official bodies were unwilling to let us have vegetables at the fixed prices, but demanded in addition allowances of all kinds, sometimes 60 per cent above the maxima...
...PULSE.—geed pcaa, beans, and vetch have been offered us at prices ranging from 140 to 260 marks per centner ($30.23 to $56.14 per hundredweight) without a seed voucher...
...If they wish to get potatoes by this method, communes will have to make similar offers...
...VEGETABLES AND FRUIT.—The permission accorded to large firms, etc., to conclude cultivation and delivery contracts for vegetables has had the effect of creating aK'ery unwelcome competition with the communes, for to these firms, with their enormous profits, money was no object, and even in making contracts they considerably exceeded the maximum prices...
...and they have done this by paying prices of 6.7 marks per centner (86.8 cents per bushel) instead of the legal producer's price, plus seed bonus, of 5.5 marks (71.3 cents per bushel), and by allowing the growers for storage 50 pfennigs per centner per month (6.5 cents per bushel...
...Moreover, the ammonia which most of them were able to offer the growers was an additional assistance in making contracts...
...Although the trade in live stock is confined to the organizations created for the purpose, pigs can not be had at the maxima, but tiiey can be boucht by the thousands from the same organizations when higher prices are offered...
...We frequently receive from speculators offers of seeds for use as food without a seed voucher...
...THE net result is a competition between industry and municipalities, which is taken full advantage of by profiteers, who know that their victims will not reveal their own illegal acts...
...The article is taken from the May, Monthly Review of the United States Bureau of Labor.—Editor's Note...
...We, like ether towns, bought soma 5,000 young pigs in September and October, when the country people were getting rid of them in large quantities, but we had to pay 1.9 marks per pfund (41 cents per pound) instead of the legal 1.6 marks (35.1 cents per pound...
...FODDER.—As regards oats, the system is in general satisfactory, though there must be a gap somewhere, since in illicit trade oats are sold at 100 to 140 marks per centner ($6.91 to $9.67 per bushel) instead of the legal 20 marks $1.38 per bushel...
...We conclude that these conditions urgently demand redress...
...And even so it was not possible to obtain the whole quantity assigned, since dealers preferred to sell to private customers, who paid still higher prices...
...Since in addition to the vegetables secured by contracts others could be sold in the open market at exorbitant prices, growers were tempted to deliver, not to holders of their contracts, but to the open market...
...Hence, of our total contracted quantity of 260,000 centners (286,598 hundredweight) in autumn vegetables alone, we received only 5,000 to 10,000 centners (5,511.5 to 11,023 hundredweight) and were compelled to buy in the open market against the competition of the big industrial firms and at prices above the maxima, prices rising from day to day, particularly as livestock keepers were buying up vegetables to give to their cattle, owing to the fodder shortage...
...and as the quantity was small ($30.22 per ton), iiistead of the legal maximum, prices went to the winds...
...vides a remedy, even though this should mem the economic ruin of the municipalities throug.: the payment of usurious prices which they can not charge upon the poorer classes...
...those of hogs have considerably declined, from a weekly average of 450 to at mcst 50, and in September no pork could be aistributed at all...
...Find Great Discontent...
...POTATOES.—The potato supply is also systematically organized, but a weak spot is left in so far as potatoes not requisitioned for the cities are left for free trade, and are bought at considerably above the maximum prices...
...About the middle of September matters became intolerable...
...and naturally workers not favored are discontented...
...The memorial is too long to be reproduced in full...
...We are daily offered (and have had to accept the offers in order to supply small industrial establishments) all kinds of cheese at prices at least 100 per cent above the maximum prices...
...varieties, but nobody regards them...
...and only those communes which had ammonia to dispose of were able to obtain considerable quantities of vegetables by contracts...
...As Greater Berlin firms received considerably larger quantities we were compelled by the importunity of the munitions industry to buy meat preparations, fat, and butter from abroad through the agency of private dealers, at prices ranging from 8 to 15 marks per % kilogram ($1.7jJ to $3.24 per pound...
...CHEESE.—Prices are fixed imperially for al...
...chaff 7 marks ($30.22 per ton), instead of the legal maximum 5 marks ($21.59 per ton...
...Rhenish industrial towns have now bought potatoes in such quantities that they can supply more than the legal ration...
...Profiteers Reap Rewards...
...Our food expert represented to the authorities that in order to redress inequalities we ought to receive a larger supply of other foods, but this caused opposition in other communes, and the authorities could give us no assurance...
...but the Greater Berlin Fat Offic© has had recourse to a bonus system, which has already had a measure of success...
...THE growing popular discontent, particularly among munition workers, leads us to call attention to conditions in the food supply which demand speedy remedial action, because, in our opinion, they are the cause of the discontent observable everywhere...
...others have sold at cost price, this in some cases exceeding the maximum prices...
...Large firms buy animals for their employees at exorbitant prices...
...In order to keep within the law we repeatedly asked for import permits, but in vain...
...MEAT PREPARATIONS, FAT, AND BUTTER.—The Hindenbiirg Fund for the Fat Supply of Workers in War Industries, from which so much was hoped, was so utter a failure, so far as we are concerned, that we had combined the first and second consignments in order to distribute 225 grams (7.9 ounces) per capita...
...Of the 1,300 or so establishments employed on war work in our town some 350 employ over 50 workmen and six over 1,000...
...Hence the smaller establishments have asked the communes to secure to their workers advantages similar to those enjoyed by employes in the larger establishments, since they themselves were unable to buy on a large enough scale...
...Conditions are intolerable as regards hay, straw and chaff...
...The increased prices for young pigs, intended to cause more slaughtering, have not affected the direct regular supply...
...WE INCLOSE a note of our purchases, forced upon us by prevailing conditions, at prices above the maxima...
...In butter shops cheese is not to be had at these prices, but in all restaurants cheese is obtainable, because restaurant keepers are not bound by the prices...
...and a similar state of things exists as regards cattle...
...Finally, at the present time both State and imperial offices are selling vegetables to their staff at prices much above the maxima...
...straw 6 marks ($25.91 per ton), instead of the legal maximum, 4 to 4.5 marks ($17.27 or $19.43 per ton...
...Many urban communes have done likewise, and those which have tried, at least in the main, to keep the law are faced by insoluble problems in the future...
...BUT EVEN among communes themselves there was a wild competition, leading to disregard of the regulation...
...otherwise the contracts will n*i be carried out...
...When the greater part of the fodder harvest was requisitioned for army needs, most districts were closed, and the towns received export permits for particular districts to cover the small quantities allowed them...
...but since then great discontent has manifested itself, because the large firms, owing to the growing scarcity, have bought up all obtainable foodstuffs...
...delivery is guaranteed...
...We express the hope that the War Food Bit -eau, in view of the intolerable conditions, wh.:- > must certainly lead to a catastrophe, will spec ily take suitable measures to eliminate t. causes of discontent.- The municipal bodies ha unanimously declared that it is their first du*-to supply the populace with such food as is pr curable, and that they are determined to pu -sue this end by the legal methods already ado -ted, unless the War Food Bureau speedily pr...
...Neukolln bought at the following prices per centner: Hay 9.75 to 12.2 marks ($42.10 to $52.68 per ton), instead of the legal maximum, 3.4 marks ($14.68 per ton...
...Above all, the system of delivery contracts is quite unfitted to produce a uniform distribution, and illicit trade can be prevented only if all foodstuffs are officially r • quisitioned and individual foodstuffs not subjec • ed to a mixed system of free trade and officii...
...Food Troubles in Germany Memorial of Berlin Suburb Protests Against Practice of Profiteers, Prices and Law Evasion As in the foregoing article the student may get a clear insight into conditions in enemy countries by examination of official health reports, so too, he will be able to understand how well the food regulations of Germany are enforced by study of the memorial of the officers of the municipal district of Neukollen, a suburb of Berlin, protesting against practices of law evasion, profiteering and discrimination in food distribution...
...The quantity amounted to 3,100 centners (3,417.1 hundredweight...
...Prices AVe High...
...As soon as a few districts were opened again free trade was possible for stocks not requisitioned...
...These are not wild offers...
...They have also supplied coal to the delivering growers' unions...
Vol. 10 • June 1918 • No. 6
