BERLIN.
since 1891. In the case of corn the calculations are based on wholesale prices ;
in the case of bread, upon the retail prices of 34 bakers. It will be seen that
the rise or fall of either wheat or rye seldom produces an immediate increase or
decrease in the price of bread to the same extent :—
Movement of Prices in Berlin.—Average Yearly Increase or Decrease per cent.
Rye Bread.
34
Year
Rye.
litó.
Wheat.
Wheaten Bread.
1891- 1892
1892- 1893
1893- 1894
1894- 1895
1895- 1896
1896- 1897
1897- 1898
1898- 1899
1899- 1900
1900- 1901
1901- 1902
1902- 1903
1903- 1904
1904- 1905
The best wheaten flour cost in 1905 Is. 3\d. per half-stone, and rye flour
The coffee most used by the working classes cost in October, 1905,11 d. per lb. ;
it is invariably bought in the roasted bean, for German families of every rank «rind
the coffee fresh as required, and it is still no unusual thing for the roasting to be
done at home. A good many “ surrogates ” or substitutes are used with and instead
of coffee, the price ranging from 1 £d. to 5(7. per lb. Thus roasted rye cost Hd.
per lb., roasted barley 2d., and roasted malt 2|(7. and 3§d., all of which are largely
mixed with coffee and chicory, with the result that the price of the mixture is
barely half that of the pure article. The two kinds of sugar mostly used are loaf
or cube sugar at 2\d. per lb. for coffee, and white granulated at 2\d. and 2\d. for
cooking and other purposes. Fresh butter cost in 1905 Is. 1<7. to Is. 2±d peril)
but there was a large consu mption of margarine at 8f ¿7. The kinds of cheese chief! v
eaten are Limburg at bhd. to 6J(7., and Tilsit at 8§d. Swiss cheese at 1L7 is
sold in less quantities, but there is a considerable sale of cheap strong smelling
cheeses to the poorer classes. Bacon is bought in small quantities at 8U to
1M- br and 9§d. to Is. for streaky. It is chiefly used to give taste and
succulency to other dishes.
The milk supply of the city has for some time been a matter of controversy
The quarrel originated m the dissatisfaction of the producers and contractors
with the prices obtained from the dealers, wholesale and retail, and it led to the
formation of an organization of landowners and farmers of the province of
Brandenburg (behind whom stood the powerful Agrarian League) with a depot
in Berlin known as the “ Milchcentrale. 1
quarts, of which 107,370 quarts were delivered by 926 cowsheds in the four
