Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-10-05
Everything Except Rents of Fine
Apartments Have Gone Up
Under War.
Jump Is TO zoo PER CENT
Meats Head the List; but Clothing is
Not Far Behind-Scarcity of La
Dor Is Big Factor in Increased
Cost of Living.

pariS.-One single item excepted.
everything in France has advanced
from - to 200 per cent in the last
three years. The rent of large apart
ments is the only item which has de-
creased since the war began, and that
is due to the fact that thousands of
MISREPRESENTATION chieily-pack-
ed off to the United States in August,
1914. subleasing their homes for Il
song, and thousands of French people
who formerly had handsome places
can no longer afford the upkeep, es-
pecially with coal almost impossible to
get and with the servant question Il
greater problem than it ever was.
Today one can find a handsomely
furnished apartment of seven rooms
or more in fine modern building. with
all improvements, at Il cheaper rental
than the place would have cost I'M
furnished before the war. But one
would find also an elevatOr-Of the
automatic brand-that does not work.
radiators with no heat, hot water
pipes with no hot water, and re-
striction on the very amount of gas
and electricity consumed per month.
And with positions at good wages in
munitiOn factories open to every girl
from sixteen years up. it is almost
impossible to find house servants.
Small Apartments Dearer.
Rentals for apartments of one, two,
three, or even four rooms, on the
other hand, have mounted steadily.
They are in demand by the well-tO-do
refugees, Belgians and those from
the north of France who arrive in
large patches daily.
Telephones were increased exactly
30 per cent year ago. Today line
costs 600 francs yearly instead of 400
with unlimited calls-but the sub
scriber must pay for the instrument
and pay for the wiring and other work
done by the electrician who installs ii.
Bread is truly the staff of life of the
French, and bread has not risen In
price. One buys still the long loaf for
one sou. But it is no longer the Won
derful white pain for which France
was noted; IT Is dark, rather sour and
sOggy, and is n day old before being
sold. 1t is understood that when the
nation goes on bread cards this au-
tumn and the amount allotted to each
will he smaller. the bread will be
whittier and better and served fresh.
Wine. next to bread, is essential at
the French table, and here one finds
a sharp advance in cost. Before the
war a bottle of fair vim Ordinaire,
either red or white, could be bought
for GO confines. or IL cents. To-day
the same wine will cost at least one
frame probably 1.25 and possibly 1.5O,
and deposit must be left on all bot
ties because there is great shortage
with bottle manufacturers working
almost entirely for. the army. And
after one has paid five sous deposit
on the bottle and returns it he usually
wine merchant explaining there is Il
charge of two sous for rental of the
bottle.
The better the wine the greater the
increase i'm price, especially If it comes
from Champagne or any other section
in the zone of the armies where there
are difficulties to the industry. Good
dry champagne that cost IL francs be-
fore the war now commands 10 or 20
francs, and the sweeter varieties are
only u franc or SO cheaper.