Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-22
TOO MANY VEHICLES
Paris Streets Blocked by
Traffic to Unusual Degree.
REMEDIAL MEASURES FAIL
Honor Bestowed Upon Woman
Dressmaker Physician Discusses
the Depopulation of France.
PARIS. February 10. 1913.

PARIS February To- 1918.
The vehicular congestion on the streets
of Paris is greater than in any other city
of the world, and in spite of the efforts
of the municipal authorities. no way has
yet been found to effect any permanent
Improvement in street conditions. The
problem is an ever-present one, and 1t
grows worse every year. for Paris, stran-
gled by the stone belt Of the now useless
Notifications. cannot expand, but must
grow upward
No such congestion of traffic exists In
New York London, Chicago. Berlin or
Philadelphia. The municipality has sent
agents to all these cities to study traffic
conditions and to count the number OF
vehicles passing a given point on an i'm
portant street in each city between the
hours of am and pm. This compari-
son shows that 333o3 vehicles passed
down the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, 16.20s
were counted on the Strand. in London;
IA POI on the Potsdamer Platz. Berlin:
1865 at 9Th avenue and 5Sth street. New
York; GIG on Broad street. Philadelphia,
and 5136 on Sheridan road. Chicago.
Add to the large number for Paris the
fact that this city has some billy and
many tortuous streets. it would appear
that the regulation of traffic In Parfs
presents difficulties unknown elsewhere.
Eventually the congestion will become SO
great that new streets will have to be
cut to relieve it; this seems to be the only
solution.
Dressmaker Receives Decoration.
The French government. upon the
recommendation of the minister of COM
merce. has decorated with the Legion q
Honor one of the leading woman dress
makers of Paris. 1t appears that AZ per
cent of the population of France Is en-
ployed in garment making. and this in
dustry is recognized as a great source OF
national wealth. The woman IN question
comes under the class of captains OF IN
dustry' and it is in recognition OF her
creative work in organizing her business
that the government has thus honored
her.
The creative dressmaker in France Is
now protected legally if her ideas are
stolen She must however. prove that
her general idea, and not alone details or
design has been appropriated by rival.
To insure such protection a copy Of all
dress models. together with adequate de-
scrptions. must be deposited IN tne
French patent office. When this has been
done she may bring suit for infringement
of her patented" dress.
DeOODulaIlOn OF france OlSCuSSCus
In an interesting and lucid lecture be-
fore. the Society of Friends of the mi
versty of Paris, of which NJ. Raymond
Poincare is president DIR. Jacques Bertil-
lon has anaIyzed at length the problem
the depopulation of France, its causes
and remedies.
In 1915, said the doctor. the French
| SoJ. 10 IF tho civilized
| people of the world They now represent
ONLY 10 per cent. and against I.OOO.UU
people who speak French there are today
100000 who speak German. and LOO.
100000 who speak English. This condl-
ton is becoming more accentuated. since
| 1911 the number of deaths exceeded the
number of births in France. while In
! other countries the excess of births over
| deaths kept at an average of abou'
/ twelve per thousand. Some people sec
a remedy in efforts to decrease mortal,
! ity. but the doctor declared this method
| to be of little or no value.
! What was wanted. he said. was an eX-
| ira 10000 births every year; the present
deficit involved economical consequences
| of the depopulation of France. its causes
was quite wrong when he attempted to
show that at lifes banquet there was
room only for limited number Of guests.
The guests. explained Dr. Bertillon, were
| also cooks, contributing their share OF
| the banquet. mat is why people WITH a
| high birth rate show a much more rapid
economic advance than does France.
Consequences Treated as Grave.
| The consequences of depopulation are
| even graver in the realm of intelligence
and culture Technical and scientific
works. whose readers are limited in num-
Der. but which, nevertheless. mark the
essential condition of progress. are neces-
sarily published In languages spoken by
| the greater number.
| There are many factors responsible for
| the voluntary and dangerous limitation of
families in France. The growth of indi-
vidualism. with others. plays a consider
able part The civil code, which prohib-
| its the free testamentary' disposition OF
property, also favors small families. This
| is clearly demonstrated by little village
| in the outskirts of Dunkirk According
| to the terms of a foundation dating from
| the seventeenth century, every family liv-
| ing within the village boundaries is enti-
| tied to twenty-four ares (about three
| fifths of an acre. of land: the result is
| that births exceed deaths by - per cent.
| Instances of the birth rate being height
ened by judicious legislation are numer-
Gus. notably in Bavaria and ROumania.
where by the suppression of some of the
vexatious forinalities attending marriage
year.
Honor for Large Families.
The doctor would like to see the public
taught to honor and favor large families
instead of subjeeting them to mockery, as
| is SO often the case nowadays. He re-
called that NJ Poubelle. when project of
the Seine, would not employ any office
holder unless he lad at least three chill
dren. He also thought that every mother
who had four children living should be
| entitled TO a grant of $780, This would,
| no doubt, involve large sum of money.
| but it must not be considered as money
expended, but rather as displacement of
| capital the beneficial result of which
would soon make itself felt.
| CAFES nv r r BROWN