FOOD TRUSTS AND FOOD PRICES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A006200530008-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 15, 2008
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: March 16, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/07/15: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006200530008-0
INFORMATION REPORT INFORMATIO-N REPORT
_ CENTRAL 'INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Tit125X1
18, U.S.C. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
C=O-N-F-I D-E-N-T-I A-L
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
DATE ACQUIRED
4.
Food'Trusts and Food Prices
REPORTI
DATE DISTR, 16 March 1955
NO. OF PAGES 2
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
1. In Bucharest, local Food Trusts control and supervise the complete sale
and distribution of food. Restaurants, confectionary stores, wine stores,
refreshment centers, pastry shops, etc., in a district are all under
their control. Over all is the Public Food Ministry.
2. The leader of a local Trust is generally a member of the working class.
In the Tudor Vladimiresou District, for example, the Manager is a waiter.
Tho title of "Assistant Manager" no longer exists. The Adjunct Manager
supervises administrative and organisational problems. Often he may be
aman of a different profession, and have little or no qualification for
his job. The Chief of the Cadre Department is generally a worker and
Party member %h o assists the Manager and Adjunct Manager. Responsibility
for notion devolves upon looser employees who have the necessary training
to do what is necessary. The Cadre Department has under it administrative,
personnel, legal and labor protection sections. In a Public Food Trust
the busiest of these is the legal section % ich handles prosecution of
all those who break the law. If an employee is table to account for any
article worth over three times his salary (sic), the law requires that
the Economic Polio@ be notified. The individual will be arrested and
tried before a Popular Court.
3. The Administrative Department is headed by a chief bookkeeper assisted
by 15 to 20 others. The most important section of this Department is the
Materials section. Each Trust has 3 to !a financial inspectors who inspect
and make reports. There are also sections for Labor and Salary, Projects,
Norms, etc. Each section has inspectors who supervise the activities of
restaurants.
Government Restaurants are of three categories, with differing prices in
each. Luxury restaurants are very expensive. Second and third class
restaurants are frequented by the bulk of the population. Only those
with large salaries can afford to patronize the luxury restaurants, such
as the Athenee Palace, Restaurantul Bucuresti, and Parcul Trandafirilor
ARMY ___
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(Notes Washington distribution indicated by "%"t Field distribution by "#" )
I NFORMATION REPORT INFORMATION REPORT
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in Bucharest. Other first class restaurants are the Pescarus, Bordei, Aro,
Capsa, Compescari, Pescarul and Vanatorul. Not more than 80 Government
restaurants and refreshment centers are found in each district.
5. Government restaurants and refreshment centers are supplied from stores of
the Trusts. Supply is always unsatisfactory, except in the summer of 195,
when,for the first time, it was a little improved, particularly in
Constants where Papacostea, former owner of the Melody Bar, the Aro, Palace,
etc., in Stalin (Brasov) and Bucharest, was brought by order of Gheorghe
Gheorghiu'Dej. Elsewhere, meals are seldom good. Meat is lacking. Drinks
are not iced. A similar situation prevails with confectionaries and pastry
shops. Since the "Festival" things have improved somewhat, but prices are-
still high. A cake,for example costs 1.55 to 2.92 lei.
6. In March-May 1951 a small private commerce sprang up. At private restaurants
everything is different - better. quality food, cleaner, etc. Every evening
these two -three restaurants are full. Prices are high. One such
restaurant is located at Cotroceni "Berea Brothers". A second is located
on Vlaicu Voda Street.
7. Prices of food at Government restaurants are as followss
Pork and beans
Eggplant meal
Fish
A sort of hamburgers
Piece of bread
Steak
Chicken
Wine, quart
lei 6-9
5-9
7-15
4.50-8
.28
3.50-8.50
8.50-16
6.92 oometimee
12.50 cometimea
20.50 often
28.00 often
31.50
40
Wine, quart (at private reotaurante)
Soda
Champagne
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Approved For Release 2008/07/15: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA006200530008-0