Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-28
COST OF LIVING IN FRANCE.
It is Much More Than in Free Trade
England.

From Public Opinion.
The cost of living abroad, especially in
france, is subject upon which wide va
rance of opinion exists. In an article in
the Economists Francois of Paris, NJ A.
de Foville uses England as a standard of
comparison and says that there is no doubt
that the English on the average, have one
third more to spend than the French, and,
all things being equal, more money is earn
ed in England than in France Further,
the cost of life in England is far less than
Il is in France. The contrary was true in
fc1mcr days but now the high tariff in
France md free trade in England have pro-
duced their results.
Butter in France costs 30 to 90 cents per
pound, Swiss cheese % to 80 cents a pound
and fowls 30 to so cents each Milk is 10
cents per quart, bread cents per pound,
and meat 70 to 80 cents pound. Fruits
which are grown abundantly in France,
cost twice as much as they do in England:
bananas and oranges which Algiers exports
by millions, cost cents each. Coffee is 80
to 60 cents per pound, tea as much as 81. 40
to 1.80 per pound, and sugar 10 to ~ cents
per pound. Coal in Paris is worth $14 a
ton, and In many houses heat Is a great
rarity. In London two boxes of matches
given for one cent, but in France each
box costs cents. and the matches are bad
Drugs are almost prohibitively expensive.
NJ. de Foville presents the balance sheet
of four average families. The first family
with an income of 81 900 per year. repre-
sents a Partisan Observation-Disclosures mother,
two children, attending school, and serv-
ant The second family, with income Of
$1,000, represents provincial household,
consisting of a father. mother, two children
ard servant. The third family, with an in
come of $500, is Partisan household con-
sisting of father, mother, small child and
no servant. And the last is that of a
vorkman's family at Peims, consisting of
father, mother two children, five and ten
years of age. the family disposng of II
purse of $415 per year. The first family
eXpends $1,744 of its income for actual liv-
ing expenses and has a balance of 1856 for
pleasures. doctors and so forth: the second
family expends 81, $50 and has $3.50 left; tho
third, $66I, and has balance of 1888; and
the fourth $500. with a balance of $95 II,
the case of the third family the food con-
sists of coffee, bread and butter for break
fast; at midday. meat, vegetables and des-
sert: at oclock the mother and child have
chocolate and bread, and at o'clock there
Is dinner of soup. vegetables and dessert.
This Is certainly an excellent showing for
the money at the disposal of the house
keeper.
NJ. de Fovlle puts his finger on the cause
of this successful housekeeping when he
says that 1t lies in the innate inclination,
one might say the passion, for economy.
With few francs, the little Partisan, who
may be hungry many days during the year,
is able to make herself hat and frock
which many wealthy women might well
envy. And 1t is with the table as 1t Is with
the toilet. The art of utilizing the rem
nants is an art essentially French whether
the subjects be ribbon or ragouts. The
spirit OF economy is as common in our
country as 1t Is rare In England. Fathers
and mothers in France consider themselves
the debtors Of their children, and even the
bachelors think they should leave some
thing behind