Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-04-30
Paris HAS ITS NOES.
Exposition City Greatly Distressed
Over Labor Troubles, Present
and Prospective.
Famine of Clean Linen Caused by
a Strike Of the Washer
women.
Promises to Become Serious ifStrike
is Extended Other Labor
Troubles.


Paris. A,ril So copyrighted, 1900, by
the Associated Press)-A famine of
clean linen is far more disturbing to
Parisians than the incomplete condition
fine exposition grounds. Eight thou-
sand washerwomen have struck for
higher wages and shorter hours and
serious inconvenience has already been
caused. The hotel managers and keep
erss of restaurants bitterly complain that
half their linen is! returned from the
wash and private families are also feel
ing the pinch. Tile strike commenced
al Boulogne- Sur-Seine and spread to
several other environs where laundries
are situated The laundry work people
around Paris number 20, 900 or 10000 and
it the strikers succeed in securing their
adhesion the mass Of Parisians Will have.
to go unwashed. The fact that the in
auN of visitors 10 the exposition has be-
gun. necess,ating heavy demands on
tie laundries, gave the washerwonlen an
opportunity to put the screws on their
employers, who, naturally. are much in
fcensed by this attempt to force their
hands now, when they have already con-
scludsdaccntracts in many cases With ho-3
tells. restaurants and other estabiish-
snents for the exposition season at de-
termined rates. The masters offered a
partial increase of wages. but the strik-
iers thus far have refused tocompromise..
Bands of working people gather N this
.neighborhood of the laundries where.
work IS still partially continued and try
to persuade the non-strikers to join.
them. No serious disorder has yet oc-3
CURED. but the police are taking pre-
cautions and detachme,lts of gendarmes
have been drafted TO the districts where
troubleis possible.
This ebullition of labor difficulties
calls attention TO the serious possibility
of much graver disturbances arising,
from the throwing on the labor market
of thousands of Workmen by the COM.
pletinn of the exposition and of the CEN
trail portion of the new Metropolitanrail-
Way. The problem the government has
now 10 face is the dispersal of these men
thru the country in order To avoid a
great labor crisis in Paris, the conse-
squence of which it would be difficult to
forssee The first measure of the gov
Sernlment has been 10 post at all csntsrs
ot work placards eltumerating under
takings in the provinces directed by the
minister of public works. 1t is estimat-
ed that these will absorb about 12,G60.
There still, however, remains q large
residuum for whom jobs are wanted
The secretary#of the painters organi-
/ zation reckoned that the completion of
I tbs exhibition will leave over 10000
< painters alone unemployed. while a
committeeman Of the unskiiled labor
sers, union claims that the number OF
that class Who will be thrown on the
streets will reach 10000, few of whom
iswiil consent to go to the provinces.
The forrnight's work on the expose
i.ti0sl since the opening has done much
to bring order out of chaos which OBJ
tained wller President Loubet declared
The exposi5.on opened. Perceptible
progress is being made daily and sight-
3seers can find sufficient To repay them
for the trouble of a visit. The foreign
sections are further advanced thar.
| Frances Own buildings and the Amefi-
| can exhibitions are keeping vel!
abreast of those OF other Countries
\ Most of the foreign national paviliofs
iare now on the eve of inauguration and
| several have been opened. Bosnia and
4 Hungary being the latest to unclose
their doors. Both of these offered
4 charming interiors and are character
s)jstically and artisticaliy representative
of their respective countries.
Two small fires Within the exhibition
grounds have caused an cutlery from
the French ard have brought home i
the administration the danger of
conflagration. In view of the meage
facilities FOR lighting fire measures ar
now being taken to remedy the situa
Ition. One outcome of this agitation ila
been the enforcement this week of TIL
&bby-laws Of tbs exhibition prohibitin;
smoking inside the buildings. SeNera
men have been arrested and prosecutet
for this offense. one case came befor
the courts, which decided against tn
deposition authorities on the groun
that the project of police alone is EN-
powered to regulate this matter. Ac
cordins 10 some authorities Commits
! Esioner General Picard, by the illegal al
1lrests. has rendered himself liable I
Z penal servitude. This eventualit,
! however. is not likely ofall TO the ID
: Of the controlling mind of the grea
: worlds fair.
, This week Cardinal Richard ar
nounced his intention tovisit the eXh
bition in order to bless the pa"ilions 1
the Catholic missions. The governmei
refused him permission to do $50. accort
ing TO the clericals, at the instigatio
/; Of the socialist minister of commerce
|. NJ. Millerand, who is said to have char
acterized the cardinals intention as
manifest attack upon the governmel
!. and a clerical protest against the den
ocratic spirit of the governments labc
policy.
DEATH AT PARIS EXPO.