The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-11-29 00:00:00

THE INDUSTRIAL CRISIS IN PARIS.

In the French Chamber, M. Tony nevillion, Gam-
betta's successor at Belleville, drew a doleful picture
of the distress in Paris. The cholera and the winter,
he said, had come together, and, though the exag-
gerated fears as to the former had disappeared, the
foreign and provincial visitors had departed. Of
every 15 artisans, only 10 had employment, and their
average wages had fallen in two years from 6fr. to
sfr. per day. Of the 100,000 masons in Paris in
1882, 30,000 had left, and only half the remaining
70,000 had work. The municipality, he contended,
ought to go on making street improvements, for which
purpose it should borrow from the Credit Foncier
and spend 50,000,000 fr. or 60,000,000 fr. in public
works. The underground railway, he said, should
also be begun at once, thus employing thousands of
workmen; the two new Lycees, long contemplated,
should be erected, and the level crossings on thb
Ceinture Railway should be superseded by bridges.
The Sorbonne and Medical School improvements
might also be accelerated, the structure of the Arts
and Metiers repaired, the Bank of France en-
larged, an Industrial Museum built on tho un-
sightly ruins of the Cour des Comptes, and two
unhealthy barracks be demolished. Be also sug-
gested a more equal distribution of poor relief in the
various wards, and the gift of small sums to families
desirous of returning to the country or behind with
their rent. He urged that, as Paris contained
natives of all the departments, the State could fairly
be called on to assist; and he concluded by proposing
a vote of 3,000,000 fr. for the victims of the crisis,
half to be given to the poor relief authorities and
half to ward committees of trade unionists. M do
Mun, the lay revivalist and Legitimist, argued that
the distress existed all over France, and condemned
the present economic system, commercial treaties
included. M. Delattre, Extremist, Deputy for St.
Denis, recommended the demolition of the fortifica-
tions, which were from a military point of view use-
less, and local self-government, so that municipali-
ties, might tax unoccupied houses, thus compelling
reduced rents, and also levy on unoccupied building
ground. M. Waldeck-Rousseau, Minister of the
Interior, remarked that the distress and lack
of employment had not so much increased
as attracted greater attention, which result was a
subject for rejoicing. He stated that the Sor-
bonne and Medical School improvements were in-
volving an expenditure of 58,000,000 fr., that 3700
men were employed on them; that the- Municipality
was spending 12,000,000 fr. • in improvements, and the
railway companies 900,000 fr.; while the new Mar-
bceuf quarter was employing 3700 hands, with an
expenditure of 15,000,000 fr. Two new Lycees and
one other building might be begun next year, at a cost
of 18,000,000 fr. Certain street improvements,
wooden pavements, and country roads, continued the
Minister, would cost 26,000,000 fr.; and the Munici-
pality would spend next year 39,000,000 fr. in sewers,
promenades, &c. Prison improvements about to be
undertaken would cost 17,000,000 fr., and a new tram-
way 7,000,000 fr. Cheap houses, in the event of the
State and the Municipality coming to an agreement,
might be constructed at a cost of 125,000,000 fr. Ho
deprecated, however, an artificial and ephemeral acti-
vity out of proportion to the real requirements of
Paris, for this would soon be followed by increased
' distress; and the overbuilding had already swollen
the number of unemployed masons, though a large
number of them had returned last winter to the pro-
vinces. As to a vote of -3,000,000 fr., charity was not
the function of the State, especially as there was no
distress elsewhere than in Paris ; and a grant to tht
metropolis would involve the provision of relief for
Lyons. Marseiges, and a multitude of small towns.