Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-25

of the EVE
THE town has revived in the most extraor-
i binary fashion, so that the Americans who
inhabit the hotels have quite different view
Of Paris from that of their countrymen who
were in the capital during the early period
of the The sun has come-almost the
weather Of Nice-and everything is gayer in
consequence.
The streets are dark at night, of course,
and the taxicabs dart like angry fireflies
across it to the imminent deadly risk of the
pedestrian The chauffeur is the one wild
creature left in the woods of the metropolis;
nothing can tame him-not even an accident
a night Is he not insured? Parisans would
receive without tremor the news that all
the chauffeurs and concierges had been sent
to the front and dealt with by the enemy.
Both classes are impossible and refuse to i'm
prove. went fat-hunting the other day
and had an example of the concierges man
ner. Most of these janitors were having lunch
and would not be disturbed. One shouted:
''The rent is 5000 francs $4,000; 1t is too
much for you" 1 replied that 1t was too
much-but not merely the rent.
National Assembly Helps the Poor
Rents are supposed to be low this year. but
this has not been my experience. No abate-
certainly temper his demands If he wishes to
let his property Que voulez-vous?" The
widow and the orphan cannot pay the OLD
price, If NJ, lie Proprietaire insists-well. his
house will remain empty.
But the worst hit by the war are not the
very poor. Their case will be looked after
by the Parliament. In 1870 an excellent ar
rangement was made: the Government paid
one-third the city one-third and the land
lord sacrificed the rest, so that the tenant
paid nothing. But this only applied to rents
reaching Sl20; beyond that the tenants had
to pay in full. But today prices have risen
in France. and no doubt Parliament will ex-
empt from rent those who pay 5000. This
leaves an enormous number Of people un-
provided for
A Hard-hit Army
Emile Fabre reckons the army of profess
sional people affected by the war at $4,000;
perhaps he is right In this category he
places lawyers doctors. professors OF all
sorts, singers, painters, sculptors and the
atrical artistes and employees. Many OF these
people have to live In fine houses because OF
the requirements of their occupation and not
because they want to. The professor teach
ing Latin or living languages has to receive
pupils in a drawing room that must not smell
of failure; in the same way the lawyer must
be suitably lodged or the council OF his order
will tell him to move. The actor often pays
a rent which is out OF proportion with his
salary, because he gives lessons in diction
and has TO receive the sculptor and paint
er OF big pictures must have big-sized, we'll
lighted "atelier," and that costs money
These people are badly OFF, says Emile
Fabre, and he ought to know, for he Is one
OF the leading playwrights OF the day with
''Ventres Dores (the Gold Bugs) to his
credit play. by the way. which dehed the
old maxim that you should never put money
on the stage. 1t is all about money and yet
it succeeded here and in English-sp
Emile Fabre, in the red dressing gown with
clerical cap In which he works, looks like a
Cardinal Of the Catholic church. Rightly, he
says: my professional confreres want help
from rates ana taxes Their income has
stopped and is not likely to be resumed for
some time The Government must come TO
the rescue" And he proceeds TO say that
America win not buy Paris pictures or statu-
cites or jewels eunningly set or any OF the
other art products OF Paris, for she Is herself
hard hit by the war In 1870, OF course, Il
was otherwise. The artists continued 20
manufacture, and the public outside France
and Germany to buy But now every part OF
the world is affected; there Is no money for
luxuries.
I can't think OF anything but the war"
he said. i read the French papers, then |
The English and Italian. then / begin over
again.
The thsatrieAi industry, of course. sufss.