FOOD COxNTROL IN GERMANY 153 



in East Prussia, with 16,000 inhabitants, in the busi- 

 ness of purveying food are typical of what many of 

 the German cities accompHshed. Early in the war 

 this city began laying in stocks for its people in 

 spite of its nearness to the Russian border. The 

 city appropriated over 300,000 marks to secure a 

 supply of bacon, fat, etc. The money was appro- 

 priated from the city treasury. When the Russian 

 invasion threatened in November, 1914, the city 

 moved a part of their stores inland. The city se- 

 cured a large part of its stocks from the Central 

 Purchasing Company in Berlin, in whose ware- 

 houses the goods were left till needed, on payment 

 of a small storage fee. The food was sold direct 

 to the consumer in the town hall, abattoir, and mar- 

 ket hall. Some of it was sold through butchers and 

 merchants on city account at prices fixed by the 

 city. Purchasers were restricted to inhabitants of 

 the city, partly to prevent dealers from selling to 

 people in neighboring places at higher prices. The 

 city council also made agreements with egg-dealers 

 to purchase eggs at 1.40 marks per mandel (16 eggs), 

 to be delivered by them every week. The eggs were 

 then sold to the inhabitants at the same price. The 

 city also began the selUng of sea-fish early in the 

 war and kept it up till the hot months, when it 

 was discontinued till the following fall. These were 

 sold through butchers and merchants, who were 

 given a modest commission. The city also sold 



