Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-10-24
PARIS SIDEWALKS.
Threatened Removal 81 Open Air Cafe
Table and shop shows


Paris Is just nov excited over the pros
pcct that something will be done to clear
the sidewalks on the main streets of tho
membranes with which shcy are blocked
by the cnfe proprietorS and other trades
men. The municipal council has made a
very small beginning at the most inoffen-
sivc end by ordering the women who sell
newspapers in the kioskS 10 take in the lit
tie tables on which they spread their wares
The cafes, however the chief offenders
whose tables and chairs extend 10 the edge
of the sidewalk and even into the roadway
at times. forcing fnot passengers to walk
out into the middle nf the street have 81
far been left untouched The reason for
this i that the city draws - large rcVcnuc.
amounting 10 millions ~ fran . which il
is unwilling TO lose frlla con ,s-ionS tp
private Individuals Of the use OF the public
pavement.
The concessions arc made according O. "a
fixed tariff. which varies In proportion -
the business Importance Of the streets for
which they are granted. On the Boulevard
dies Capucines and the Boulevard dcs Ital
lens. in the ncighborhood Of the Grand
Opera. the central point Of Partisan life
tho tax i - francs for each square meter.
on the Avenue du Grand Opera il i 80
francs; ON the Rue dcS Heidcr. which
leads to the Care -. I.azare the busiest
railroad station in he city, 1t Is 80 francs
on the ANcaEe dcS Champs ElysCcS. =,
francs: in Tie ~ Honore quarter. the
BoulcvarC -. Gcrmain, the Boulevard
st Michel. the main thoroughfare Of
the Latin quarter. il j. 20 francs, and it
was down IL > francs and even franc for
out oi the way STREETS The commission
nair,s and boot blacks pay the fun tariff the
newspaper dealers. flower sellers. cake and
milk NcndcrS pay half tariff, and the fruit
sellers. whose stands are i'll the roadway
in front ot the thcatcrs. only during n pcr-
formancr. pay quarter tariff. The second
hand dealers in books and coins along the
river qunyS ray francs meter. Spaces
from fpnt 10 foot and half wide are
let Ia merchants who wish To display their
goods outside their stores, while the cafe
permits for the space on the sidewalk, ON
which chairs and tables may be placed the
''tcrras>cS, aS they are called. are made
out for strips varying from TIVE TO ten feet
y section OF the law which is never enforced
requires the sidewalk to be kept clear on
public holidays such as the Fourteenth of
July and Shruvc Tuesday
From the cafe tcrrasscs and display
spaces for stores the city uf Paris derives n
revenue of / ,3UO, 900 frames "A year IL gets
9S. Ouo francs for the right To let chairs in
the Bnis Il BoIlogne. the Champ Elysces,
and the other public parks. small stands
in the public streets yield l25, 600 francs,
and the columns on which the thcater post
crs are displayed 20 900 francs, while still
other sums come in from the grants for
penny in the slot machines for the illumi-
mated advertising spaces ON poStoflice
boxes and ~ ON. The newspaper kioSks
have been attacked first by the city au
thcr.ticS. because they are more Immediate
ly subject to its authority, the city having
reserved the right Ia establish regulations
for their management There are about
$50 of these kio>KS In Paris. which are let
from time u time at public auction, the
price paid IT lrcScnt bcing 2i0 francs "a
year for each kiosk.
The municipal council of Paris Is con
sderng how in other ways it can raise
the rcycnuc ROW obtained from these
sources, ~ 10 restore sidewalks and
streets tu he Use Of the public Though
there ;:Tc Undouhtcd abuses by which peo-
pie walking in the streets are put to seri-
ous Inconvenience. it is To lie hoped that no
such radical step as the sweeping away of
'Hc "ltu ar DulNIiiN anu csiic tcrTsi>Scs
will bc taken. since Parisians have taken
10 going to the sc.lshnrc in summer, lcav-
ing the stores ON the boulcvards 10 put out
their lights at 10 o'clock, and since the
weekly raids of the police, brought about
by the moral reform movement of the last
few years have cleared the streets of Ipany
picturesque ii diSrcputahlc characters.
Paris in the evening has lost more Of its
life and brightness than it has gained in
rrSpcCtability II, in addition. il should
hc no longer paSsihlc 20 enjoy an after dim
ncr cigar aud cdp of coffee in the open air,
watching the crowd walk hy. Paris will
oecomc dull indeed to visitors and houlc-
'ardiers alI.ie.-PariS Letter in New York
sun