The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-05-20
OUR FRENCH LETTER.
Especial correspondence of the HrRA1D.)
PARIS, April 10, 1888.


Block on the contrary considers the
population so dense, that despite
the fecundity of the soil France
must ere long become food-im-
porting country; M. d'Hausson-
vile asserts, that below a salary of
2.75 francs per day, there is nothing
but misery, and Nine. DeBarrau
afirms, a woman earning but $50
francs daily cannot live virtuously
in Paris. All however concur, that
high rents are the cause of much OF
the suffering and crisis which exist.
The philanthropic intention OF
the government to constitute an
immense building society for the
erection of cheap houses in the sub
urbs, to become the property of the
tenant after twenty years Oecupa-
ton, is not warmly received. Grave
people do not like to see the state
playing at socialism, and to favor
these dwellings by an exemption
from local taxation and dues on
building materials, is not relished.
Such houses must ultimately fall
into the hands of those members of
the Iaboring classes already excep-
tional by their thrift and steadiness
The chifo1lierS constitute the
dregs of the city population; they
reside no where permanently;
they camp in structures of the
most primitive order of architecture
run up on sites recognized as no
| mans land. The repulsive nature
of their calling forces them to re-
main "Kroumirs." Next in the
scale come the scavengers. They
reside in barracks, forming cities;
seven or eight individuals club to-
gether and rent room at 100 fir. a
year, and so live. The laborers
proper-the floating and foreign ele-
ment of the population follow;
they are generally single; cock
loft, shared by chum or pal, with
the scantiest of penates sufices.
After these classes, the artisans
enter en- scene. The mean average
rent of Paris is about $50 fr., and
| two-thirds of the total rents of the
city represent mean of 800 fr.
In 1917 a bachelor could secure a
fair room for 80 fir. year. When
Napoleon [ came to Paris as sub
lieutenant, he paid only Is fir. a
month for His two rooms under a
garrett.
Since ten years provisions nave
risen immoderately in Paris; this is
chiefly owing to the excessive bar
rier dues, so that the capital is en-
bellished at the expense of our
stomachs. Bread, which forms 80
per cent. of the food of citizens, is
kept low, and chiefly from political
motives. Meat has tripled in price
eggs, cheese and butter have
doubled. Rochefort always selects
the price of butter as the standard
of metropolitan morality. Yet the
cost of living can tempt those who
like John Gilpin have frugal minds
In the rue de la VeTrerie, a mea
can be had for Is sous, without
WINE, and a second of these estab-
Iishments is on the point O.
being opened. That miracle o.
feeding the thousands is daily per
formed by the Lyons Railway Com
pany; it supplies a dejeat71er to 1,30l
employees at Is sous head lnclud
ing interest on capital.
Clothing is cheaper, due to i'm
proved methods Of making, and thi
can be seen in the well dressed APP
pearance of the crowds On Sunday
and feteS. With ribbon or a fchu
a French woman will not only give
herself the air of smartness, but O.
elegance. The mean price of susie
nance for workman in Paris j
$50 to 1900 francs per annum
which represents 300 working days
about 2.T5 francs to per day. Z
wife costs one-half more to support
and child one-third. Laborers
and porters earn from $50 to franc
per day scavengers 1926 ; rag picker
$50 to 4, sometimes double if the,
have good legs. Their clothing
costs them nothing as there uni
| form must be rags: they pick VI
scraps of food from kitchen refus'
or the charity of servants.
StOne-cutters earn 1.20 franc
B per hour and printers Is sous t.
10 francs; women compositors ar,
paid 10 sous the 1000 letters, sam
as the men, but the amount O
work turned out by then
is less; flower girls ca
make 5 francs day, bu
their season lasts only four months
Dressmakers to francs, and sew
ing girls $50 to 1 franc. It i
among the latter that the shroud j
stitched as well as the shirt. Their
is no poor law in France, the ind
gent being supported by a tax O
places of amusement, similarly a
= the rich funerals pay for the grs
] tuitous burial of the needy. Their
are 41,OC0 women and $4,000 me
on the charity roll of the capital.
By the addition of Italy to tn
Austro-German alliance, France
isolated in Europe; so she feels til
situation sharply, the more so aftt
so powerfully contributing to tn
founding of Italian unity, and ait
ing Austria out of her dificultit
after SadoWa. Russia is equal
isolated. and must henceforWar
count with that alliance, as well {
with Turkey, Roumania an
Sweden in her political movement
The French aYoW they ought
once to march hand in hand wit