The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-04-10
What Bonnparte Has Done for Paris.


The most terrible feature of the present condi-
ton of things in Paris lie the poverty. Since
lo4S nothing has been seen like it. If you take
long walks in Paris now, you will most likely be
several times accosted by decently dressed people
Of both sexes, but principally elderly ladies, &C
tually begging. i have seen this phenomenon
perpetually within the last three weeks. IL is
since the change in the weather that it is most to
be noticed for with bread, meat and wine at
the price they stand at now, it is impossible for
people with narrow means to live. In each OF
the sad cases I mention the individuals belonged
evidently To the better class Of society. Ten years
ago 3 ,000f. per annum enabled a man and his
wife 10 live with some small comforts, employing
a femme de Henage to do the Homework, and even
from time TO time indulging in some very mo-
dest pleasure, such as a days excursion to
Versailles on a Sunday, or a fie day, or (once
or twice in the year, perhaps a third or fourth
rate place in one OF the theatres. Now the matter
stands thus The apartment for which was paid
2O0f., now costs 500f. OF GOO. the taxes are
nearly doubled the boots-of which the man
necessarily uses plenty because they are made of
bad leather, and, If he has any employment, he
has long walks % take-the boots run away. at
the least, with another 1907. his clothes costs
bin fl5 at the lowest, for every article of IL is
dear and bad, and his linen is worn out
quickly, because soap being too dear, washing es-
Adjustments resort TO the most destructive pro-
cesses for cleansing it. Here, then, We have $50
or EGO gone before a man in the position We
state can stir out OF his house OF be capable of
moving about to gain his livelihood. Out Of his
fl20 u year there remains to him EGO or EI0
upUn which to find food and firing, when bread
il at one franc the four pound loaf wine for
merly 3 and 10 sous, is at Is and 16 and meat
for the small consumer, at lOd. and Is. a pound,
and more, and when potatoes that used to cost
him 2 sous, now cost him the quantity Of
soup vegetables he used to get for three sous costs
him seven or eight And, be IL noted, here we
have a yearly sum Of income which Is by no
means u low or common one ; and we have not
taken in account one single article OF expenditure
for n woman whereas men with El20 a year,
one may almost say. are invariably married men.
IT frUm this relatively high income we revert to
the common run Ot incomes OF men of this
stamp, we find them range frum ESQ 10 go and
Es0. How are they to live? One expression of
mine requires explanation. | speak of the dear
est of meat for u s.small COZ sumer." For a
household that can afford to buy, per week,
three or four joints, and three or four breasts of
mutton. or veal, with two OF three pieces of soup
beef, a butcher will make arrangement by which
all meat shall have the average price OF, say Cd
a pound, but this only touches the large Consul
mer. The small one, who purchases, each day,
the pound or 50 of meat requisite for his food
and that of his wife, il he has one, pays for that
small quantity the highest price. lie will pay
for veal, for instance, Tor the best sort of beef or
muttun), from lOd. To Id. q pound. If the
class of man | have described has, (as is often
thc Crel ohy "F'uInH 10 Ahc away hotn us ou-
reau and finish at home, he must have light and
lamp-oil is at Is sous q pound besides which,
after his insufficient food during the day. this
night labor in the cold, when his meagre fire is
burnt out. and when he dare not afford himself
tho luxury of bit of cold meat or a glass Of
wine to prevent him from retiring for a broken
sleep, which does not refresh his shiyering, worm
out frame-this night-labor tells upon his health
and the first slight illness prostrates him. Then
utter ruin stares him in the face, for one doctors
bill exhausts his means Of hare existence for three
months. In these households there is nothing
over for JOY and grief. The child that is born,
or the parent who dies, is equally a misfortune
which cannot be met, and the employe or the
roor gentleman in France has not wherewithal
20 ray for one hours healthy relaxation from ex-
hausting toll, or for the indulgence of one nat
ural sentiment.-Lon Rev., Nov. o.