LAUNDRIES/BRIEF CASES/WRIST AND POCKET WATCHES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600060343-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 17, 2011
• Sequence Number: 343
• Publication Date: October 8, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600060343-5
CLASSIFICATION coi iDF.NT1AL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY Rumania
SUBJECT Laundries/Brief Cases/Wrist and Pocket Watches
a
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF L
"Laundries:
One suit, cleaning and pressing
i. vusers, cleaning and pressing
one man's jacket, cleaning and pressing
man's night-shirt, cleaning and pressing
pajamas, cleaning cnd pressing, per pr.
raincoat ('Balonside') cleaning and
pressing
enter-nronfJ.nff of a raincoat
spring or fall coat ('Pardesiu'),
cleaning and pressing
winter cost, cleaning and pressing
dress, cleaning and pressing
tailleur, cleaning and pressing
petticoat, cleaning and pressing
blouses and shirts, washing and
pressing, each
dyeing, one blouse
REPORT
CD NO.
DATE DISTR. $ Oct 1954
NO. OF PAGES
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
State
Lei
Cooperative
i':ivate
35
38
ig>
17
20
22
20
22
25
20
22
25
15
17
20
30
32.50
36
10
12
15
25
28
30
30
32
35
20
22
25
35
38
40
15
17
20
8
10
10
25
7
t
State Laundry prices are lower because chemical r'ipplies are purchased at
official State prices. Cooperative laundries are jubject to very strict
governmental supervision, for they operate under the Ministry of Cooperatives,
and, indirectly, under the 'Centrocop'. Their chemical supplies (from the
'Centrocop') are slightly more expensive, and so prices show an increase over
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600060343-5
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600060343-5
those of State Laundries. The private laundries, whose prices are higher
than either State or Cooperative Laundries, purchase most of their materials
on the black market. In addition, a private laundry owner, considered to be
in the category of small tradesmen, is very heavily taxed by the State and
thus his prices must be higher. Despite this, people prefer private laundries
which work more carefully and more quickly than the others. When clothing items
are brought to any laundry, no identification is required. The customer gives
his name and address, which is written o-: a receipt, the original of which is
given the customer while the copy remains at the laundry. To collect laun-
dered clothes, an individual need only show his receipt. Work in private laun-
dries can be done in five days. Stat, and Cooperative Laundries require a
minimum of two weeks and buttons, etc, are often missing on cleaned clothes.
2. "Brief cases: The following persons still carrybrief cases.
a. Ii the workers' category, only a 'Instalatori' (plumber) or an
electrician carry brief cases. Brief cases are old and made either
of leather (various colors) or strong cloth. They are used to carry
th- worker's tools.
b. Money-collectors ('Incasatori') from the Finance Sections of the People's
Boards, and money collectors from the Communal Water and Electric Power
Enterprises, who carry both money and registries; civil and uniformed
Militia agents from the Militia Economic,GWntrol Service. This group
carries a normal size brief case, of leather (calf), either dark-brown,
black or brick-red, worn out, but usually clearer than those in a.,
above.
c. Enployees of various dooperatives and ministries in Bucharest; brief
cases are the same as above, but in better condition.
d. 'xysiciars normally.carry a doctor-'s, ,.'~`rc' e', in dark blue, black,
or dark-brown leather, size: 20 by 15 by 5. They also carry, but less
often, a normal sized brief case of dark-brown or black leather; in
either case, the brief case is in excellent condition. In fact, a
doctor can easily be recognized from his dress, etc.
e. 4ttorneys-at-law also carry regular, but worn, leather brief cases,
f dark-brown or black. The condition of the brief case, in this in-
v voia..c, LLcjIC.yLLO 1.(pVlt 1.116 6ttV1 -ley ~tiLL ativ .. i..v tavo e
f. i'rofessors and elementary school teachers carry the same type of brief
case as mentioned in e., above.
g. lLgh Government officials, Directors of State Enterprises, and the so-
called 'Lectori politici'(politica. readers), carry a regular size brief
case of dark-brown-or black leather, in excellent condition.
I ,t~
h. 'Pt ivate business men, still active, carry a brief case like those in
b., above.
(Money is carried only by persons referred to in b., above (except
for postmen, whose mailbags are the typical leather ones used in any
country. Postmen carry large amounts of money at the beginning of each
miviuth *LOU payment, of Si.wte ixualouo ie made directly by the p.,stncr. t?
the pensioner.)
3. "Billfol Wallets Money end Doctments: In Rumania nowadays, only ak^ut
2511 of the population carry a blllfoldL or wallet. Of this 25%, the Rumanian
'Portofel', which is carried in the right inside pocket of the jacket, is
carried by the following persons: P-ivate business man, Directors of State
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 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600060343-5
Enterprises and Cooperatives, RMR Party members (Directors, Secretaries,
etc.) physicians,, attorneys-at-law, professors, and a small number of
University students. These persons Barry an ID Card, and, other documents
(including Military Reserve Corps cards), and cash amounting to anywhere
from .300 to 1000 lei. (The highest denomination 1,anlmotA.in circulation
is 100 lei; below that,.is the 5 'Lei, 10 lei, 5 lei, 3 lei, and 1 lei
note. Bani are of nickel, and i.. denominations of .25 10 .05, .03
.01.) The remaining 4"% of the ' ' '
ranking employees, do not carry a wallet. Thecdocuments$carried by this
r i elude the ID-Card Trade Unions Card and the military document
In most cases, these documents are carried in a cellophane 50X1-HUM
case called 'Tipla', and in and among the pacers might be found a bank-
note of 100 lei, at the most. Actually e, 25 lei banknote, or, in the cases
of workers, saacurrency in nickel, is more common. A large amount of
money found in the possession of an individual who cannot explain its or-
igin; might lead to suspicion- even as a result of a so-called 'Razie'
(check of ID papers on the streets). It i also quite common to see peo-
ple carrying their documents in their pockets without a cellophane case.
Wallets are of leather, usual size, brown (most common), black, or brick-
red. A regular leather wallet sold in an I.C.S. Textila State Store is
priced from 60 to 90 lei, depending on the shape. Leather wallets are al-
so sold at the Romarta State Stores Which feature as well, Nailon [nylon?J
wallets priced at approximately 150 le.i each; ?'ut, these, are rarely available,
and are not seers among the common people; physicians and similar privileged
groups carry them.
"Watches: All kinds of watches are sold in prI.vate wat.ch.makerFshops, (called
'Ceasorricariil ) which are small tradesmen shops. These shops are nit, per-
mitted to deal in watches, but only to repair them. Tn spite of this, of
course, they do sell watche-y,, I:d tc relipble persons. Watches
sold are old ones d in new cases. New:,4 ! .c o and do`ld only in the following
State Stores, ~'~
a.
I.C.S.
'Victoria' on Victcrei Street
b.
I.C.S.
'Bucuresti' on Victcrei Street
c.
I.C.S.
'Centrals Textila', opposite the Main Post Office.
sold from time to time (after the closing of the Festiva )? _ ?tatc Stores
gave priority to persons in the field of labor (and, natur01
ally, PMR Party
members and high State Enterprise officials), who received from their re-
spective State Institutions a certificate ('Adeverinti' authorizing the
sale. Stakhanovites and persons awarded the 'Order of.Labor' medal got top
priority after the high Rot Party officials. On these occasions, the follow-
ing makes were on sale, priced as indicated below:
Watches are on sale only occasionally. For example:Last year [19537,
at the time of the IVth Youth Festival; 0 watches were imported and
a. 'Movado' wrist watch, nickel, each 1,250:00
b. 'Tellus' wrist watch, nickel, each 900.00
c. 'Titus' wrist watch, nickel, each 750.,00
d. 'universal- wrist watch, nickel, each 650.00
Nowadays owning a wrist watch of the kind above/~is considered a luxury. An
old tvoe nickel pocket watch, e'en an 'O-.-~', ' vSuGy-isicu~', Cymu' ur =1el-
lue', is less suspicious, but not to possess a wristwatch, or any kind of
watch, is best. Very, very rarely does the common man or the worker have one,
as most do not have the opportunity of makfng such a pwchase; many have sold
tfiLr watches fo;.-.,Attorneys-at-law, and other persons mentioned above
(paragraph,2, c., ., ?., f. (less), g., and h.) may be found in possession
of a wrist watch."
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600060343-5