The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-10-13

ben able 20 make good uss OF his power
for the purpose Of advancing popular
ameliorations. He has put w~orkinsmen
on the departmental COMMITTEES for fact-
tory and Workshop inspection: he has made
Il obligatory on the State, the Department.
and the Commune-, to insert q fair wage
CLAUSE In their contracts: and he has nov
IN hand a bill for preventing strikes oy
compulsory arbitration. . measure winch
obviously involves another descrtion on
his part Of the old Socialistic standing ground
of wa he, w-en the masses and the classes
and a frank adoption OF tho policy-of main
tanning interclass peace. MIR he points
ont that the Marxis,s themselves share
largely In the government Of fr-nch mu-
inequalities; many Of the town councils
they ave captured entirely and. " II he
no offence to-day to ait with a bourgeois"
In a French town council. Il will probably
bs no offence tomorrow to alt with one
In a French Ministry. AZ all events. Mil
erand's entrance OF once with the com
plete appreciation Of the independent
Socialists. the Brou-~ists and the larger
~ the two divisions Of the All-manis's'
and with the acquie~cence OF the SOCIAL
ists OF other countries, In n frc~h PROOF
Of the extent Ia which the old revolutionary
aims have Lost control Of the Socialist mind
and arr being replaced by an absorption
In reasonable immediate reforms.
The -Socialistic conquest ~ the munich
pal powerr- has b--n. indeed, ono OF IN"
most remarkable developments OF French
Socialism during the Last ten YEAR,. Before
1897 tn. Socialists had a ma iority In only
one town council Of France to.~tt' That
Of ~ Ouen but In the wa named koulaiH
returned a cuuncil composed exclusively
Of Socialists aud. sincs then. lAlle. NJ
Denis, Man-.ill--. Cette, Roanne. Mount
LAGOON. Calais, Croi1 and Hellemmes have
all clected councils with q Sociali-tic ma
iority. In every ons Of this towns men
toned the Socialists 10 sooner came 10
I power than they proc>-ded Co pas a number
Of financial and other measures Tor the
len.ft 81 the laboring classes which, IN
mos, cases. however, were vetoed by th"
Project NJ icing ultra urss One OF the
exceptions deserves notice One OF The
frst acts ~ the municipal council OF h"n-
baiS after the Socialist victory. was to read
iIs, the ocfrot 40 a. to reduce the duty on
necessari--. and To rais' IN" duty on usu-
RES THIS change added $4,000 n year
to the reVenu. Of the town aud seems 10
have given littI. caus. for complaint
The next step was TO institute warm lunch
cons for school children, 10 h, given gratis
To the poorer pupils. and for three or four
cents a head TO the rest From food the
council prooe-ded to clothing, and IA 1895
began "a free distribution Of shoes. stock
ing-, shirts and trousers Ia the children
Il next provided free legal advice for work
ingmen. %electing a lawyer Tor th. purpose
A. one ~ it, very first m*-tingS after tn"
Socialist triumph. the council petitioned III"
central Government for additional power
In order 70 fx a minimum wage In all en-
ploymen,s by municipal authority The
petition wac not granted The council
next passed n resolution To establish a
minimum wage. and an eight-hour day
In all municipal services and 20 ins"r,
clauses With the same purpose In all mn-
nicipal contracts with private employers
this. also. the project di-allo~ed. ON N"
ground Of its b-ing a yiols,ion of industrial
liberty