The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-24
PARIS TAXES UP
 ROLLER SKATING First Rink Is Opened In the
 Hippodrome M. RASTARD'S NEW PLAY Head-liner Has Been Found and the "chantecler" Will Be Put on for First Performance Some
 time in November.
M. RASTARD'S NEW PLAY
BY HERBERT TEMPLE.

last night at the HlppOuroIne u VIII prove, no doubt, a dangerous rival to the Palais de Glace, a real ice rink, which has long held sway in the Champs Ely sees. This is one of the smartest places in town, and during the season the cos- tunes worn by the elegant 'patineuses" represent the last world in fashion. Skating is not in any sense a widely practiced sport in France, for the reason that the winters are rarely severe enough to allow of a continuance of ice, but those who do skate generally skate ex- tremely well.
 Both in Paris and Nice where the rink Is under the same auspices, beautiful ex- hibitions of the art are seen It is quite possible that Parisians will take keenly to the new roller skating, which has had such an extraordinary vogue in England. For the moment. at any rate, 1t looks as if 1t will be taken up with enthusiasm
 A step forward has been made with M. Edward Rostands much discussed play. "Chantecler," the production of which was postponed owing to the death of Coquelin. The trouble heretofore has been to find a successor to CoQuelin in the title role. M. Rostand and the man. ager of the Porte Saint Martin theatre were at their with end. and at one time 1t seemed probable that the production of the piece would be indefinitely post poned.
 But that fine actor, Lucian Guitry was requisitioned for the part and Rostand went to his retreat at Cambo with an easy mind. Since then he has been em- ployed in polishing his manuscript, and now the piece Is actually in rehearsal M Rostand Is expected to return to the city shortly. He will watch the rehearsal with jealous eye, for he wants to make the "Chantecler'' the greatest success he has yet achieved.
 The first performance of the play will take place in November, but the actual date has not yet been fixed No informa- ton about the piece will be given until the date of the repetition generaleP dress rehearsal is announced. It is stated that the advance sale of the first per- formance amounts to s6OO0. and that the price of orchestra seats will be $20.
 The education question has been brought to head by the manifesto of the French Episcopate addressed to the country The S9 cardinals, archbishops and bishops have unanimously appended their signatures to a document that not only cuts at the root of the present sys- tenn of secular education in France but condemns. nominatim, a series of histor- ical textbooks used at the state schools A witty writer recently defined the French school ''mll'' where the chill dren of Christians were turned into ren- egades. That is the view of the bishops, and they declare that they are prepared to suffer all things" rather than let this state of affairs last. If their declaration is met with indifference, they will place the schools under interdict, the eff fects of which step would be to deprive all recalcitrant parents of the succors of religion.
 Since the separation communes here and there have been placed under inter- dict, but not for long, for the municipal authorities, worked upon by the peasants have always given way. The two educa- tional bills now before the chamber, pre- scented by M. Doumerque, were really drafted by M. Briand. They are partic- ularly drastic in limiting the rights of parents.
 By false humanitarian, the French army stands in the way of being demor- alized. As everyone knows, every French man has to do two years military ser vice. There happen to be in France, as in every country. thieves. rogues and vagabonds. Conscripts of this class used to be packed off to Africa, but during the last few years they have been draft ed into the home regiments. They num- Der about 10000 individuals, all of them with condemnations under the common law.
 High military authorities are convinced that much of the espionage that goes on, as well as the disappearance of docu- ments and arms, and the development of the spirit of revolt, owe their source to these men. It may also be added that re- spectable soldiers are loud in their com plaints of the contact to which they are forced to submit.
 According to news received here, the experiments conducted at Dakar on the principles laid down by Dr. L.averan of Paris, prove that a cure for the sleep ing sickness has been found. Dr. Law eran first discovered that the malady was due to aparasite The next step was to find the preventive measures for the per- sons afflicted with it. The credit of lead ing to the discovery Is given to Amer ican, Dr. Evans who used an emetic of aniline. This treatment was followed here and applied at Dakar to number of cases. In each instance there was an immediate improvement after the first application, and in short time the pa tients were entirely cured.
 An exciting episode has taken place at the convent of the Good Shepherd at Sens. Some of the pupils. girls whose ages ranged from 15 to IS. broke in re- volt, declaring that they did not want to remain in the institution any longer. The mutiny occurred In the work rooms, and thther the sisters ran. They found that 14 of their pupils armed with chairs, had broken a window, and forced door lead ing to the garden.
 The mutineers attempted to scale the garden wall, but in vain The nuns, with the superior at their head, began to par ley with the rebels. For three hours the latter refused to re-entcr the work rooms The sister thought of using a hose, but rain began to fall, and in a short time all the girls were wet to the skin. Eleven of them then consented to return to the work rooms, but the three ring-leaders held out declaring that they would re- main in the garden until the inspector of the assistance publique arrived.
 The three ring-leaders are, it seems difficult pupils who were placed in the Bon Pasteur by the assistance publique of the vosges. At o'clock in the even ing the superior informed the police what had happened and police commissioner arrived, accompanied by several men. They found the rebels laughing and munching nuts One surrendered, but the other two declared that they would not remain in the establishment any longer, l.x~ .<1,<l I&A x>Io l.. rt,r~