El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-02-22
PARIS STREET
TRAFFIC IS.
Contested
Efforts Of the City IS Relieve
the Situation Are Proving
a Failure.
FRANCE WISHES HALF
MILLION MORE BIRTHS

hicular congestion on the streets
Il 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, strangled by the stone
belt Of the now useless Qualifications
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 important street in each
city, between the hours of a. m and
Z %. m. This comparison shows that
1888 vehicles passed down the Rue
de RlVOI IN Paris. 6,2OS were counted
on the Strand, in London; j., 221 on the
POtsdamer Platz, Berlin; S,665 at Fifth
avenue and 18th street, New York; 6,176
on Broad street Philadelphia, and 5,736
on Sheridan road Chicago.
Add to the large number for Paris the
fact that this city has some hilly and
many tortuouS streets, 1t would appear
that the regulation Of traffic in Paris
presents difficulties unknown else
where Eventually the congestion viii
have TO be cut to relieve it; this seems
to be the only solution
Women Captains of Industry.
The French government, upon the
commerce. has decorated with the Lee
gion Of Honor one Of the leading WOm-
en- dressmakers Of Paris 1t appears
that II percent Of the population of
France is employed in garment making,
and this industry is recognized as a
great source of national wealth. The
woman IN question comes under the
class of captains OF industry and
II 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 of design, have been apprOpri-
ated by rival To insure such pro-
lection copy Of all dress models, to-
gether with adequate descriptions, must
be deposited in the French patent Of
flee When this has been done she may
bring suit for infringement of her pa
ented' dress.
Analyses the Decrease.
In an interesting and lucid lecture
before the SOciety--Of Friends of the
University Of Paris. Of which N. Ray
mOnd POincare is president, DR.. Jacques
BertiuOn has analysed at length the
problem of the depOpulatiOn of France.
its causes and remedies.
In 1915, said the doctor. the French
amounted to Is percent of the civilized
people OF the world. They now repre-
sent only 10 percent. and against So
100000 people who speak French there
are today 40, 0O0, 900 who speak Ger
man, and 150.00O,0O0 who speak Eng
lish- This condition is becoming more
accumulated, since in 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 about y per 1000 Some peO-
pie see a remedy in efforts to decrease
mortality, but the doctor declared this
method to be Of little or no value.
What was wanted, he said, was an
extra 100000 births every year; the
present deficit involved economical
consequences of the most dangerous
character Nautilus was quite wrong
when he attempted to show that at
LIES banquet there was room only for
a limited number of guests. The guests.
explained Dr.. Bertillon. We're also cooks.
contributing their share of the banquet
That is why people with a high birth
rate show much more rapid economic
advance than does France
The consequences Of depOpulation are
even graVer in the realm of intelli-
gence and culture. Technical and sci
entiflc works, whose readers are lin
iteC in number, but which, nevertheless,
mark the essential condition of pro-
gross, are necessarily published in Ian
guages spoken by the greater number.
Many Factors.
There are many factors responsible
for the voluntary and dangerous linn
itatiOn Of families in France. The
growth of individualism among others
plays a considerable part. The civil
code which prohibits the free tesla
mentary disposition of property, also
favOrs small families. This is clearly
demonstrated by a little village in the
outskirts Of Dunkirk. According to
the terms Of q foundation dating from
the 18th century, every family living
within the village boundaries is entitled
to a ares (abOut three-fifths of an
acre. Of land; the result is that births
exceed deaths by A percent
Instances Of the birth rate being
by jOdicious legislation are
numerous, notably in Bavaria and Rou-
mania, where by the suppression Of
some OF the veXatiOus fOrmalities at
tending marriage thousands Of births
were gained every year
The doctor would like to see the pub
lie taught to honor and favor large
families instead Of subjecting them to
mockery, as is so often the case now
adays. He recalled that n POubelle,
when project Of the Seine, would not
employ any OfficehOlder unless he had
at least three children He also thought
that every mother who had four chill
iren living should be entitled to a
grant Of 800 This would. no doubt I
involve q large sum Of money, but 1t /
must not be considered as money ex-
pended. but rather as a displacement !
lf capital the beneficial result OF which (
would soon make itself felt