New-York tribune., 1902-08-21
PARIS GOVERNMENT.
DETAILS OF MUNICIPAL MATTERS IN
REPORT ON LANDED PROPERT1-A
HUGE MAP OF THE CITY.

Paris August l.,
The municipal literature of Paris has just been
enriched by remarkable report on the landed
property of the capital which affords endless
material for all who interested in the science
of governing large cities In the library of the
Hotel de Vile there are 100000 volumes bearing
upon the scientific handling of subjects involved
In regulating life in the metropolis. Each head
of department has efficient staff of competent
young graduates Of the public schools, who COL
lect statistics and prepare data for the elaborate
reports that are each year made upon the works
for which their chiefs are responsible. Whether
this Partisan municipal system could be advan-
! ia ageously adopted in New-York is perhaps ques-
tonable. but all who have at heart the develop
ment of the art of governing cities will be in
terested in the report just compiled by NJ. Fon-
taine. director Of the Cadastre, or Surveying De-
partment of the Prefecture of the Seine, which in
its way. is model of municipal statistical re-
search. a few extracts from NJ. Fontaines re-
port VIII suffice to indicate what lines the
municipality Of the Department OF the Seine
works TO maintain the reputation of Paris for
being the best governed city in the world
AT first sight one is appalled, by the forest Of
figures and columns arranged like tables of
logarithms. but on patient inspection it is found
that VI. Fontane has set forth In as concise
form as possible the data relating TO the varia
clifton of houses and of the migrations of In
habitants which are curious and of great
value to students who seek TO solve the prob
lens which regulate the populations Of great
modern cities
The total number Of houses in Paris on Janu-
ary J. 1901. was SS5ST. OF these 1876 were
factories and 2.3S9 buildings used both for
dwelling and for manufacturing purposes. The
total yearly rental derived from these houses
amounted to S176000O00 This shows great
progress since 1862 when there were only 66,5TS
houses in Paris the yearly rental value OF which
was SS1, 900 900. NJ Fontaine has arranged
his tables of figures that the increase or dim
mutton of the inhabitants Of every arron-
dissement or ward, can be accurately followed
for each year since 1862. Some of the southern
and eastern wards have been losing in regard
to population while the northern and western
wards have been steadily increasing. An in
teresting series of tables gives the average
YEARLY rent for fats paid in each OF the twenty
four wards The lowest average is found in
the quarter of La Care, where ii is S3S year
The highest average rent for flats Is IN the
Champs Elysees quarter of Paris, where 1t is
S765 a year. If the number OF inhabitants OF
each ward is considered il is found that the
lowest average yearly rental is paid for lodS-
ings in the Charonne quarter. where it is So per
capita and the highest is in the Champs Elysees
~Nf-NN'
1t is curious to note that the total number OF
vacant lodgings in Paris on January i. 1901.
was only 26 633 out of the total number of
1 231 172 In the Tenth and Eleventh wards the
unoccupied lodgings most numerous.
The conclusions to be drawn from NJ. Fon-
taine's statistics are that Paris, ike Lohooh'
Berlin Vienna, Boston and many other large
cities is steadily expanding westward ana trd'
the increased facilities for circulation aftorded
by electric tramways and metropolitan railways
have induced the working population TO live III
the suburbs This is especially the case Win
government employees. clerks and young men
ana women who are now enabled to live more
economically and more healthfully outside the
fortifcations at Neuilly, CeVallois-Perret, Su-
resne Asniares and other former villages which
are gradually becoming welded into the metrop-
oils ry the development of networks OF electric
tramways-
Municipal taxation is fully and comparatively
treated in the report of the Surveyor of Paris
II sbou1d be borne in mind that the principal
source of revenue by direct taxation in France
is derived from what is called les quatre con-
tributions" or the four rates, which are ID
the real estate tax, (2) the door and WINDOW
tax (3) the furniture tax and (4) taxes on IL
csnses and patents. The inhabitants OF Paris
nav in the form of these four rates. S3o,Oooooo,
of which SIS 900 900 goes to the State and only
!
the total revenue of France derived from the
-four rates" is SAT 100000. it will be seen that
Paris pays more than one-thrd of the revenue
Of the national treasury received from direct
taxation one of the results of this is that while
. French taxpayers who live outside of Paris pay
in direct taxation to the State an average rate
Of S francs s. centiTnes or, in our money. 81 10.
the average rate paid in direct taxation by the
inhabitants of Paris is 27 francs % centimes, or
of SEl5 hat ia m the
Partisan is taxed nearly four times heavily
as the provincial Frerchman-
NJ. Faure, who bears the, quaint title Of Geo
Chief of the C.ty OF Paris has just
completed the new map of the city a scale of
five millinetres to the metre or. In United
States measurement, o197 of an inch to 1908
wards This is the most gigantic scale Of any
municipal map far undertaken in France
The work Of making this map occupied forty
wears and 1t is published in eight hundred parts
u the eight hundred sections Of this map were