Führer durch die Wirtschaft der Union der Sozialistischen Sowjet-Republiken

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1764228618

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-143224

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Führer durch die Wirtschaft der Union der Sozialistischen Sowjet-Republiken

Place of publication:: Berlin

Publisher:: Handelsvertret. der UdSSR in Deutschland

Year of publication:: [1926]

Scope:: 215 S

Digitisation:: 2021

Collection:: Economics Books

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BERLIN. 33 and the fish trade is almost wholly carried on there, but the markets are more par ticularly used for vegetables, fruit, and farm produce. There is no approach to uniformity in prices, the general rule being that the prices prevalent in each market correspond to the social character of the population served, though it follows that the quality of a given commodity is proportionate to the price charged. There are also stores of the “ multiple ” type, and every working-class street has an abundance of small grocery shops, often located in the basements, and conducted by women, whose husbands follow independent callings. There are many co-operative societies, whose trade is predominantly a working-class trade. The largest in turnover if not in membership is the “ Co-operative Society for Berlin and Neighbourhood.” This society had 4,947 members in 1905, and its 16 shops had a sale of £33,290. The " Berlin ” Co-operative Society had in 1906 a membership of 6,000, and its 1 5 shops in the city and suburbs had a turn-over of £29,000. The Char- lottenburg Co-operative Society, with a membership of 1,265, had, in the same year, a turn-over at its three shops of £8,500. The other societies are not strong. The bulk of the business done by the co-operative stores is in groceries and food stuffs generally, and kitchen necessaries ; but, in addition, they carry on what are called “ contract businesses,” that is, they arrange for companies or private traders to supply to their members on reduced terms com modities which they cannot conveniently stock, such as boots and shoes, coal, fresh meat, drugs, kitchen utensils, clothing, &c. The members of the co-op erative societies are not so attached to their stores as is the case in English towns, and the relatively small turnover would appear to indicate that member ship is in many cases quite nominal, and that the shareholders prefer to trade elsewhere. The “ Co-operative Society for Berlin ” had a turnover in direct trade of only £6 14s. per head in 1905, and that of the “ Berlin ” Co-opera tive Society was still less. The progress made by the co-operative societies has, however, led to an exten sive discount system on the part of private traders, and especially those who depend for the most part on working-class patronage. Thus butchers often allow a discount of 5 per cent., bakers 5 or 10 per cent., and other tradespeople give less or more according to the class of goods. The discount generally takes the form of a check in the first instance, and the checks are changed for money or goods when they have accumulated to a stipulated sum. A large part of the bread consumed by the working classes is baked at co-operative bakeries, and the fact is not without influence upon the prices of private bakers. The staple loaf is a grey mixed rye loaf costing 6d. ; and the cost of a 4-lb. loaf in October, 1905, was 5\d. “ Black ” bread, heavier in substance and without mixture of wheat, cost 4¿97. Wheaten bread is only sold in the form of rolls, which are eaten with coffee at breakfast. These rolls are delivered by the bakers in the early morning hours to their middle-class customers in baskets and nets left outside the kitchen door overnight. Weights taken regularly by the Statistical Office from a large number of shops show that the 6d. rye loaf has varied as follows during the last 11 years, the equivalent prices per 4-lb being given side by side : — 1X96 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 Weight of 6d. Loaf in English lb. 5 26 493 438 4-55 4-60 4-44 4 55 Price per 4lb. 1 1 1903.. . 1904.. . 1905.. . 1906.. . 1907.. . Dec. 1, 1907 Weight of 6d. Loaf in English lb. 4 60 4-66 4 53 402 3 60 325 Price per 41b. d. I ÿ 6| It is also interesting to follow the fluctuations of corn and bread prices at identical periods. The following table shows the rise and fall of the prices of wheat and rye, and also of wheaten and rye bread, in percentages year by year

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