The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-05
OUTLOOK IS OAUNOUS.

1894. :. .343,345. 900
OUTLOOK IS ONIINOUS
It will be seen that thi. years harvest
Is less than any since 1891. The light
winter and wet, rainy weather which We
nave had with few intermissions since
September OF last year accounts for the
vast bulk Of this shortage.
But the falling off Of the area under
cultivation is still more ominous sign
for France, as it's causes are social and
a return Of good weather will not only
remedy the situation. II marks the de-
population OF the country districts AMI
the flow toward the largest cities. In
some parts of France this is so great that
whole villages have been abandoned and
the deserted houses stand rotting, with
their matched roofs falling in, while the
surrounding farm lands have been sold
for a song TO the general government
and form part of the vast domain Of the
state" with which the state does nothing.
BREAD GETTING DEARER.
Meanwhile the price Of bread by whole
sale remains about 5 confines pound
dearer than in London or Brussels, and
our municipal councillors are carrying
on a semi-political campaign against
both city and national governments on
the strength Of this fact. The radicals
and socialists are telling the working
men that they are being exploited by
capitalists and speculators and that the
only remedy is in a revolution which
will overthrow the present "capitalistio
plutocracy."
The evil thus industriousIy sown may
spring up in a crop Of riots this winter,
but in the meantime the government
Is on the alert.
When the municipal council meets in
couple Of weeks from now, there will
BE the Nveliest kind Of an attack on the
prefeot Of the Seine. NJ. de Selves. for
not having called them together in extra
the price Of bread The law under which
the city government was reorganized
provides that third Of the munich
pal councillors may request an extra ses-
sion on written petitions to the prefeot
Of the Seine, but he has the discretion
of refusing Il, being obliged, however.
to give his reasons.
TO CREATE EXCITEMENT
There are eighty members In the coun-
Gil, so that twenty-seven signatures were
required to Me damand. The radical So
cialist group got together thirty-fve sig
natures and could easily have got more
But the project refused 70 call an extra
session, as 1t would increase the excite
ment and aid spectators to put up the
| price OF bread, which, by the way. has
~v~tH
out creating any alarm
Besides that ne didn't believe. he said,
! in the gra tuitous aud indiscriminate dis
tribution Of bread by the cty-the As
sis.ance Publique, which is a cort Of de-
partment Of charities. would do every
thing In that line that was necessary.
| AS this Is a pet Sheme Of The socialist
| agi.ators to gain favor with the work
| ing masses OF Bellevills and Alantmart-
ire, their partisans are furious and vow
! vengeance.
| TRYING TO AVERT FAMINE.
| The government is doing what il can
| to prevent a bread famine this winter
| by ordering reductions OF railroad
| freights and setting the example on the
| lines owned by the state. The reduc-
| tons comprise lowering OF one-siX-
| teenth Of cent per bushel for every $50
miles carried. and the cutting off trans
/ fer charge where grain is sent on branch
! lines off the main track, or when il goes
| from one cOmpany's lines 10 those Of an
! other. The rates on the state line, which
| were confines per ton per kilometre
| (about cents bushel for 100 niles,
! baya been reduced one-half.
| The Northern Railway has already
adopted the new rates, and the others are
! hurrying ;oi conform TO the new sched-
ues. The government has also request
! 81 the canal people 10 reduce their rates.
and in Algiers the demand has been ex-
tended 20 all kinds OF cereals
! Here in Paris NJ. de Selves. the pre-
feet Of the Seine, has ordered the dis
trbu;ion of $4,000 % the poor Of the city
from the funds OF n. Assistance Pub
Mque. and in doing so has stirred up
quite A tempest The municipal coun-
cl.lors are highly indignant that he
/ should have acted without consulting
/ them. and many CT them declare tina;
! the appropriation ot the money withou:
| a vo;e Of the municipal council is illegal.
The prefect. however. escapes on me
/ technically that the $4,000 vas money
already in the hands OF the department.
TIA, had been paid out II ;ha city treas
! NV at different times. according ;ovotes
II ne council. and represented par; 81
| the accumulated savings Of the depart
/ menl GU, OF sums already appropristed,
ana Consequently applicable as the auth
! critics see fit
PERTINENT QUESTIONS ASKED.
This has led 10 the question how much
| money there Is thus saved and oy what
| right the authorities have neglected "a
| i.s1ose OF the large sums voted - -e-
| lieve distress Il seems ina; in the dif-
| fe-snt offices II the Assistance Pub.ique
| sis377s nave been thus carried 70 r.
| serve fund. Il IS true the last few win
| ;er= nave not been rigorous and today
| Oh: the population o. 2.4sl. PC. only I3+.-
| 0s7 persons axe IN need % public assist
ance. a figure much below TIA; % Lon
don The annual appropriation :o- c5sr-
it, amounts e $40 So. 90. which voIi1
give aboa; $50 70 a family % four, quite
enough . keep chem sIive.
Blu, the chs. o. administering the de-
pa..nn~n: with lis numerous Offices and
larEa cle-lca. forcs-nseiIessly large. zs
are a. French ainiaiSt-z1soHs-iske z.
Of good snare o. ne appropriations
aai IN addition, the b1reAlc-ak. wiz
, -