The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-06-26
TAX ON TOBACCO
 IS NOT SUCCESSFUL May Lose More Than It Was
 Hoped to Gain ROW OVER CHANTECLER Another Does Not Like Actor and Ac- tor Says the Play Is a Bore-Afiss-
 Ing Trousers Cause Scene
 in Paris Shop
ROW OVER CHANTECLER

Paris June 25.-(Special) )-The minister of finance has not been very successful in his new tax on tobacco. It was to bring in 1soo0oO0 francs, but the trade has become so demoralized by its appli- cation that the minister bids fair to lose far more than he hoped to gain. The packets of 40 grammes of "Maryland' or "Caporal superieur" are now sold for 20 cents instead of 15 cents, and what might have been expected has happened Smokers have gone back to the common 'caporal" of the workman, at 10 cents the packet.
 It Is the same with the cigars; rather than pay the extra charges people smoke the cheap weeds, which, after all, are ont so bad, because if the cat must be let out of the bag, the republican government seldom interferes with what the working classes consume whether as regards quantity or quality. The game would be too dangerous.
 Ever since the first night of "Chante- cler'' kind friends have spread the report with glee that M. Rostand and M. Guitry hate one another. The poet considered that the actor was the worst Chantecler imaginable The actor considered that the poets play was bore. The poet actor, M. Albert Lambert of the Theatre Francais, who had recited the part on the concert platform, and wrote on the fly .rr-1 ha,t xx-t,a toH 'Chantecler', and M Guitry was corre- spondingly vexed.
 How much truth there Is in all this no one can say, but that there Is some seems to have been proved yesterday at bene- fit performance for a charity, at which the great attraction was NJ. Rostand him self in recitations of his own poems Among them was a., sonnet to the late Coquelin, in which he described what a "Chantecler'' the departed actor would have been ''rhou hadst poetry in thee,' one passage ran. This seemed to imply that NJ Guitry has not. Kind friends are never wanting in these cases fin the Paris theatrical world. The fury of Guitry is described as having been tremendous. The kind friends grew little alarmed, and explained that the sonnet was writ ten year ago. before he had ever re-
 
 M. Guitry allowed himself to be pacifled but not, it is feared. definitely. The kind friends in question are now looking forward with apprehension and possibly with some p1easureable anticipation of Homeric encounter to a great duel of words one of these days between poet and actor. Both have tongues, and 1t Is uncertain which is the sharper.
 We are accustomed to hear of persons having their pockets picked, but it is quite new for anyone to be robbed of his trousers. A well known Paris lawyer thought that he found himself in this predicament and referred the novel case to the police.
 He had gone to a tailoring establish ment and was trying on pair of gar ments which did not quite suit him. When he wanted to put on the pair in which he had come to the shop they could no longer be found. Counters were turned topsy-turvy and all hands set upon the search in vain.
 The lawyer became excited, thought that perhaps it was a scheme to make him accept the pair that he did not like, and in a moment he made up his mind. He put on his silk hat, buttoned his coat and walked out of the shop into the street in his light neither outfit, holding at the same time an umbrella over his head. for 1t was raining.
 The scene outside brought a crowd to- gether nearly as big as the day when the republic was proclaimed, and all were interested in watching his explanations to the surprised policeman at the corner.
 Just then, however, a shop assistant came along, brendishing in triumph the missing trousers which had simply been mixed LID with other goods on one of the counters.
 The proprietor of the tailoring estab- lishment then found 1t his turn to be vexed at what he considered a scandal in front of his shop and in the presence of other customers, and he has threatened to lodge a complaint against the lawyer
 As well the private residence as the theatre of Mme. Sarah Bernhardt has been seized for debt on behalf of M. Henry Bataile who has just won an ac- ton in 5000 damages for -fulfllment of an undertaking to bring out version of Faust by him. Her lawyers inter- vened at once and obtained from the courts leave to pay the amount in fort nightly installments of $400.
 One heard with some surprise of the poets drastic action against the actress during her absence on tour in Switzer- | land He now explains that he set the due legal machinery in motion to recover | the damages awarded to him from no mo tives of personal greed. He intends de. | voting the s4000 firstly to bestowing g prize of $500 upon the author of the bes | hook of verse. NJ Bataille to be the sols judge, and, secondly, to the production this year of the play selected by jur, as being the most original and the mos talented. Under the circumstances he l; persuaded that Madame Bernhardt, who has always taken a great interest IF young authors, will feel much satisfaction ! in paying up.
 Jean Staerk, a man with a crimina past-he has already been sentenced six times-conceived the idea of keeping g school of thieves. He gathered some tei pupils, all young men, round him, and gave his lessons at Romainville Fort ev. cry day. The police noticed the comings and going of these ten young men. Theli curiosity was aroused They kept 6 sharp lookout and surprised Prof. Jear
 Staerk when he was giving one of his lee
 lures.
 Professor and pupils were arrested. Il
 seems that the pupils had prohted bs
 their teaching. When they were taugh
 how to do a thing they did 1t. The pro lessor was not paid In fees. He levied tof
 on his pupils booty, deeming this bet ter way of earning a living than by thiev ing himself, for he dreaded another con viction, which might mean his being sen
 to a penal settlement.
 | Seven If tho nunils have been ren1itfe fef