New-York tribune., 1901-10-20
PARIS.
A FRENCH PETROLEUM MONOPOLY.
cHE PROPOSITION TO CREATE ONE ALARMS
REFINERS- RS-OVERPRODUCTION IN
PAINTINGS.

Copyright: 1901: BY The New-York TribuneD
IBY CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE.l
Paris. Oct 19-The French Budget Commit
tee which for twenty years has practically had
its own way in all matters relating to national
finance, and which is largely responsible for the
present desperate situation Of the budget. has
decided, by vote Of seven against four, with
three abstentions from voting, to introduce a bill
to go into effect in 1902, providing for govern
1nent monopoly of petroleum. This decision.
largely due to the increasing influence OF NJ.
Marcel Sembat, the Socialist deputy and the
French Collective Socialists. comes like bomb
shell to NJ. Caillaux Minister Of Finance who
IS opposed to such a scheme, and also to the
French petroleum refiners. who say that they
will be ruined because the indemnity is not to
be fixed by jury of expert arbitrators, but
simply by government decree.
The situation of the French refiners is as fol-
lows: Since June 80 1893. crude petroleum i'm
ported into France has been subject to a duty
OF nine francs quintal while imported re-
fined petroleum pays IL francs so centimes
quintai The difference between these two rates
establishes protection for French refiners and
when. on October ID. the Minister of Finance
proposed to the Budget Commission an increased
tax Of one and one-half francs on petroleum, the
yefners protested that such tax would make
ell competition with American refiners impossi-
bic. Next day the Budget Commission to the
engagement of all concerl ed, suddenly decided to
appropriate the refiners and create a State
monopoly OF petroleum, like that of matches and
cigars. This is regarded sort OF coup d'etat
Of the Socialists and, owing to the almost su-
preme authority welded by the French Parlia-
mentary Budget Commission. causes consterna-
tion among petroleum merchants and refiners.
who however. predict that Parliament will never
sanction the enormous cost of securing the pc
troleum monopoly which, to say nothing of
indemnities, includes the acquisition of a fleet
OF petroleum tank steamers TO go to the United
States the Philippines and the Caucasus to
bring crude petroleum to France.
Great discomfort prevails among the painters
belonging TO the Societe des Artistes Francais
who send their works each spring TO the Salon
still known that Of the Champs Elysees.
Several meetings have been held to seek rem
edy for what the artists describe the slump
in the modern picture market. After long and
excited discussions in which Humbert. Albert
&aignan, Cormon and other prominent painters
took part, it has been found that the main
cause OF the prolific crops of unstable pictures
Is that young men striving to medals
feel compelled to paint vast works which, after
exhibition, become worthless. Dealers have
neither room demand for them, and all the
galleries OF France could not absorb a tenth of
then. year Dy year. consequently. unfortunate
artists are obliged to cut up their huge, ambi-
tious canvases and paint potboilers on them.
The painters committee passed resolutions urg-
ing that the number of pictures at the next
Salon be limited to sixteen hundred, and that
the drawings, pastels and water colors do not
exceed five hundred. 1t viii be recollected that
the Champs Elysees Salon last spring contained
twenty-one hundred pictures. besides a thou
sand drawings Other measures drafted by the
committee recommend that every year two
room. shall be reserved each Of them for the
exhibition Of works OF artist, the two artists
TO enjoy this privilege to be selected each year
by special committee. It is also recommended
that forty artists be each authorized to exhibit
five pictures Of moderate size in special panels
and that all pictures by the same artist shall in
future be hung in juxtaposition and not scat
tered about. as hitherto. These proposals show
that the old fashioned academic Salon is waking
up and wants to adopt the features which have
been instrumental in securing the success OF its
more UP TO date rival the Salon popularity called
that Of the Champ de Mars.
The statement made by the artists of the
Champs EIysees Salon about the slump in the
picture market has caused leading picture deal
ers TO prick up their ears. Durand- -Ruel
Georges Petit and other prominent dealers here
deny that there is anything approaching slump
ia the market. and say that never before have
go many pictures been bought and sold as this
year, and that American purchasers In particu-
lar were more active than ever. NJ. Durand-
Ruel said that nowadays dealers merely gave
cursory attention TO the Champs Elysees Salon.
because among the wilderness Of works exhibited
there very few appealed TO the public taste.
He noted that the demand for old masters
seemed 10 be steadily increasing. but regretted
that the indiscrininate buying OF past years
American account had called into existence an