"Granaries Being Full. , . ."

"Granaries Being Full. . . ."

Resolved to have no revolution this year, ancient Dictator General Juan Vicente Gomez, 75, abruptly ordered "the Presidents of States and the Governors of Territories" in Venezuela to force down staple prices last week and keep them down.

After more than 20 years of dictating, the Dean of Dictators knew how to pack the punch of his decree into its first sentence for maximum effect. "Knowing," he wrote, "that articles of first necessity, which are precisely those which serve to sustain the poorer classes, exist in great abundance, owing to last year's splendid harvests, farmers' granaries and storehouses being full, I judge that it is neither equitable nor legal that prices should continue high to the detriment of the proletariat."

Telegrams from all over Venezuela soon assured General Gomez that his fiat had been obeyed, that prices had promptly dropped.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.