CONDITIONS IN BRUSSELS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16897, 9 July 1918, Page 6

CONDITIONS IN BRUSSELS.

FAMINE PRICES RULING,

A well-to-do tradesman of Brussels, who recently escaped, over tho frontier into Holland, brought some interesting details of conditions in that city. . He made up his mind,to escape, not because of any shortage of money, but because he was starving. He states that although 'there are certain fixed prices for various articles of food in Brussels it is almost impossible to get any. Among the prices he quotes are:— Per lb. Per lb. Tea .. 12 10 0 Bacon .. £0 16 0 Coffee ..3 0 0 Rye ..040 Potatoes 0 10 Wheat ..030 Meat, 8a to 010 0 Rabbits 06 3 Pat .. 116 0 Before be left Brussels he sold his last 41b of coffee for £4. Moat of the sales of these things are conducted over the tables in the small cafes on the Boulevard Anspach by Jews who formerly were on th? Bowse. The common people live almost entirely on cooked cabbages—ls fid each—and beetroots and leeks—6d each. People who have cows must bring the milk to certain places in the city every day. They are paid 6j,d per pint. The Germans remove the cream and the skim milk is then sold at B}d per pint. All cafes are closed at nine o'clock at night except the Mctropolo, Centrale, L'Esperancc, Palace, and the Cecil, where the German officers nftet, The cinemas and theatres are open and tho saloons are as crowded as ever. The people obtain some kind of beer which is so bad that their necks become enormously inflated in tho manner of goitre. There are no more horses or draught bullocks in the city, and the dust-waggons are drawn by men— at a time— going punishment for various offences.