She said gasolene was one of her steady sources of income. Gasolene rations are extremely low, usually not more than five to ten gallons a month except for important officials. But she said she is able to get any amount she wants from German army groups who peddle their army gas at 20 Fr. a litre (round U.S. $2 per gallon).
She wrote out a list of articles giving their normal prices as compared to current Black Bourse prices. They are (n large lots):
Soap Fr. 60 per kg. on the Black Bourse against 15 Fr. legal price, cooking oil. Fr. 80 a litre against 12; coffee, Fr. 60 per kg. against 16; eggs, Fr. 5 each against Fr. 1.75; beans, Fr. 15 per kg. against 6; chickens, Fr. 100 each against 35; rabbits, Fr. 80 each against 28; perned, Fr. 80 per bottle, against 35, knitting wool, 217 per kg. against 90; woollen cloth, Fr. 400 per metre against 80; silk stockings Fr. 95 against 35; cigarettes Fr. 25 against 9; gasolene, Fr. 20 per litre against 8.
I asked her how she liked this work.
"Pouf. I don't like it, and I don't think old "Grandpa" down in Vichy would like it," she said "but one must ive."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.