Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-30
PARIS IN WAR ON
COCAINE TRAFFIC
Authority Says Half of Women
Who Frequent Latin Quar-
ter Are Victims.

Paris, Dec. 3O.-Alarmed by medical
reports which show the increasing
number Of persons in certain sections
OF Paris who are addicted to the use
OF cocaine, the police have commenced
an energetic campaign 70 suppress the
clandestine sale OF the drug. They
have a difficult job on their hands.
Dr. BRAND, chief of the St Anne
lunatic asylum, says that fully one
half OF the young women who frequent
the cafes Of Mon martre and the Latin
quarter are victims of the habit and
sooner or later come under his care.
The attraction OF cocaine is not easily
understood by those who have observ-
ed it's effec.s The original sensation
continues for only brief period. while
the after-effects follow swiftly and
are terrible.
The law prohibits the sale OF the
drug except on presentation of a ply
sicians prescription. but the illegal
methods employed to obtain il are
many and ingenious. The walters at
certain cafes make a business Of re-
failing cocaine to customers with
whom they come in contac- Their
usual price is IS cents a gramme. The
police recently raided the headquar-
tiers Of dealer who occupied a room
on the sixth floor Of an office building.
II had been his practice to supply his
patrons by lowering q basket from a
window OF his room. az er the custo-
mer had identified himself as a user
by whlstling in a peculiar manner.
The dealer was severely punished.
The result of his arrest, detection
and Of other sharp police measures has
been TO raise the price without decreas-
ing the demand for the drug. and i. is
stated that as much as IS a gramme
has been paid by persons whose crav-
ings we're 50 great that they would
not wait TO find a cheaper supply.
According % statistics published by
the ministry OF labor there were dur
ing 1910 500 strikes in France in
volving 2S1.425 strikers. OF these 729
were for higher wages or the lat.
ter. 1G9 were successful, 2G4 failed and
29G ended in a soompromise. The win.
ming strikes raised the average daily
pay from 81 TO $1.13 The 2G4 strikes
which failed involved he 32.791 strik-
ers in a loss from idleness of $29 per
man. Putting all the results together
and striking an average for the whole
729 strikes, successful, unsuccessful
and compromised. it was found that
the average loss per man for he 49,
32G strikers 300 days after resumption
OF work was over Sc. II was only af
ter the 4O3d day the losses and gains
balanted and that the increased. wages
could be considered as profits to the
striking mass
seven American makers are vel
represented at the French automobile
exposition this month. The cars anC
the relatively low prices have excited
considerable discussion among French
manuiac urers as to whether the time
has not come to discourage importa
tion by a stih tariff
The opinion OF French automobil,
men is. that the American supremacy
in cheap and light car manufacture Il
an Industrial one. bound up in theil
ability TO organize factories for turn
ing out large numbers OF automobiles
of the same model. a thing which i
would be next 40 impossible to carr,
through with French factory organi
zation