South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-08-05
Paris to Spend $4O,OOO,OOO to Destroy
Island of tuberculosis in Famous City
BY WILLIAM G. SHEPHERD.

PARIS. Aug. 5.-"Go and look at
It. can't tell you how bad 1t is, for
I've never seen anybody yet who could
describe the Island of Tuberculosis. -
said Paul Strauss. national senator
Of France. 10 me.
But / can tell you that It is TO be
demolished. The Island OF Tubercu-
losis must go. for IL menaces the I'm
est mansions in Paris. we'll as the
lowliest homes. We are going TO
spend 40 millions OF dollars TO destroy
il"
And so I went to see the Island Of
tuberculosis which Paris has just
discovered in its midst and which IT,
with so much horror and expense In
tends 10 demOlish, and found it-only
an ordinary slum.
These French are very excitable, as
all the world knows. When they dis
covered this slum they Immediately
arranged 10 tear down the ancient,
great wall Of stone that protected the
city hundreds OF years ago, but
wouldn't stop an ordinary battery
with the guns OF today, and on the
hundreds Of acres thus gained they
intend TO erect model homes where
the working people of Paris may live.
Forty million dollars worth of ex-
lean cities wouldn't even noticei
The Island OF tuberculosis isn't far
from the central market of Paris. In
that slum district seven out OF II per-
sons die of diseases growing out of
foul air and filth.
Everybody seems poor here" I
said TO withered old woman sitting
on very ordinary doorstep Of a very
ordinary and American-loOking slum
building.
Very poor" she said. But we
b pick rags and papers and make a
living"
Have you any children
"Oh, they died long ago. They were
not strong. No. But / was born
was not born in the country. He died
with tuberculosis"
"Have many died?"
NEARLY every one l know. I know
more dead people than L do live ones.
I have been here u years and 1 am
She looked. except for her scraggly.
black hair, as If she were 20.
IF they stop us we will starve, "
she added.
Beside her was a filthy sack, half
opened. In IL were bits OF tin, papers,
cigar and cigaret ends, decayed fruit.
For the rag pickers OF Paris, who live
In the SlumS, are the Jackals of the
city. They pick II clean, OF every
thing but the most utmost filth. early
every morning. There are places
where they can sell almost every i'm
aginable thing they can find on the
pavements
/ didn't see any more filth in Paris
Island of tuberculosis nor any more
misery than / have seen in the slums
OF more than one contented American
city.
Just as many persons die, in our
slums OF tuberculosis, and in them
is just as much a menace to clean
homes, as in the slums of Paris.
The new law In France that deals
with the Island OF tuberculosis is
very simple. II takes all taxes from
homes built for working men. In
most American cities, builders are
hailed into court and forced TO pay
fines for building good homes for
working men; that is. they are taxed
for every working mans home they
build.
In Paris, city commissioners are to
be appointed TO pass on the building
OF working mems houses and 10 fix
the limit OF rental
The new homes will rent for S6 a
month, and for every child that is
born into the home the rent Will be
decreased so cents a month until five
children are born.
And. by the present plan, every
home Will have a little garden.