The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-06
.LABORERS WILL
 RECEIVE PENSION
Unique Plan Is Adopted by
 French Government.
SUFFRAGISTS ARE ACTIVE
Against Deputies-Nordnn Dis parnges the Zionist Move
 ment-French Gossip.

| Paris, March 5.-tSpecial 1.-The Senate recently adopted the bill relating to work
 mems pensions sent up to it from the chamber of deputies, but with considera-
 he modification. The bill will go back to the lower house. and will return to the upper one before it can become law. | But the main point is that owing to the
 Senates vote the measure is safe It con-
 cerns upwards of 100000 French men and women, and M. Viviani has had hard
 work in getting the bill through the Sem
 ate even in Its present state; but, on the
 whole. he is fairly satisfied with the re- | suit.
 Without going into elaborate detail, it
 may be explained that working people | of both sexes are to subscribe regularly to the fund, that they are bound to be pensioned off on reaching the age of e5,
 but may, if they choose, claim their pen | sion at 55, receiving, of course smaller sums If, on attaining the former age
 they have subscribed ever since they started on their careers. the men will re- ceive about ss5 and the women $55. If
 they have subscribed during a smaller
 period they will receive less. | M. Viviani has given very clear ex-
 position of the bill as adopted by the Senate, to the Matin, and he explains that
 men will pay a yearly subscription of 9 people under IS francs 50 centimes, their
 employers putting down an equal sum
 in each case. The money subscribed by
 the working people will be deducted in fractions from their wages on each pay
 day.
 Special arrangements are to be made 1 for the benefit of toilers who are nearing
 the age of 65 and it is scarcely neces- | sary to add that the state will assist all | round. M. Viviani points out that 1t was | indispensable that working people and employers should subscribe. The toiler
 owed 1t to his dignity and his interests to do so, and the employer was bound | to assist persons who collaborated with him. As for the state it could not look on passivey while both classes we're
 enriching the patrimony of the nation, so it had to participate in it. too. The la- bor minister adds that in some respects the Senate has been more generous than the chamber showed itself to be. but he is confident as to the final result In the forthcoming French elections
 the suffragists are to be up and doing
 They have declared war on the deputies
 who have hitherto refused to look favor ably upon their demands for the parlia- mentary vote. The suffra gists are to put
 forward candidates fin as many constt- uencies asYpossible. Many of the retiring deputies, terrified at having women for rival candidates, have already given their | adherence to the feminist movement. and have promised in the new parliament to
 urge the. extension of the franchise to | women.
 Mme Marguerite Durand, the chief | leader of the militant feminist movement | in France, declares that the organiza ton | lacks but the sinews of war. and not candidates "self-denial fund is to be
 instituted and the suffragsts are to make an appeal to their richer sisters to help in the good work Mime. Durand is op- timistic. and she is convinced that be-
 fore long her sex will be represented on the deputies" benches at the Palais Bour
 bon The law in France. she adds, al ready recognizes that women possess enough brains to drive an automobile or taxicab, to heal the sick and to plead for the criminal before the assize court. .sWhy, then, in the name of all that is wonderful" she demands. should our sex not be allowed to participate In the framing of the laws?''
 Mme Durand declares that women rep resent more than half of the inhabitants of the country. And among them the women who pay taxes and work and live on their salaries are in the majority. We do not pose as enemies of mascu- line influence" she adds. We desire that women should be allowed to do things which they can perform with knowledge and dignity.
 Mme Durand will appear in the streets, but not in order to organize demonstra- tions like the English suflragettes so that Parsians may laugh at her; she will de- liver speeches. She hopes that her ex- ample will be followed by at least two other women-Mme Hubertine Auclere. who is an expert on women's questions. and Mime. Nelly Roussel, a persuasive orator.
 This apostle of the new movement af firms that every deputy who does not ad- here to the suffragist movement in France will be opposed by woman. If we even have a dozen of our sex elected she said, it will be an excellent begin ming"