South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-07-20
MAYOR Of RENNES
AIDS HIS PEOPLE
Living Cheaper There Than in
Any Other French City -
Is Man of Action.

RENNEs. France. July 2o.-Liv-
ing is said 10 be cheaper az the pres
ent time in Rennes than in any 9TH
er large town in France. The peo-
pie Of Rennes attribute it TO the ex-
ecutive ability OF the municipal gov
eminent There has been, perhaps,
less talk and more action here than
in any other part OF France during
the war. Mayor Janvier is man
Of action good representative Of
the class OF public men coming 10
the front in France. men who are
capable OF taking questions Of pub
JIG interest out Of politics and OF
applying practical methods 70 them.
NJ. Janvier, who was formerly
DAY laborer. becoming later a build
ing contractor. then mayor of
Rennes, found a dencit in the city
treasury of 100. 600 francs wnen he
took office in 1908. At the end of
909 he had. without borrowing or
imposing any new taxes. made good
the dehcit and accumulated a sur
plus OF more than 100000 francs.
ln 1915. the excess Of receipts over
current expenses of the town had
reached 500. 200 francs "a year.
This result shows what politics
costs IN the administration OF towns
or departments" IS the comment Of
the advocates Of regional admins
tratou fin which the political pow
er OF Paris would be diminished
AbOIishes All Politics.
n. Janvier himself attributed the
result to the fact that, having ban
ishoi politics from his administra-
ton ne has been able to secure the
cooperation OF all the members Of
the municipal council, irrespective
Of political complexion, and also the
cooperation Of all the citizens Of
Reunes. which he considers the
most important organizations. The
rational organization for time OF
war he says. is TO increase prOduc-
ton He obtained 40 tons OF po-
tatoes by municipal gardening of
uncultivated land belonging to the
town last wear Besides furnishing
free potatoes 20 the different can
teens Of the town and remarkably
cheap potatoes 10 the rest OF the
population the city earned 1000
francs profit from the venture.
Meat went up TO excessive prices
in December last year in Rennes.
NJ Janvier attributed the rise TO ex-
cessive retail profits. He placed a
limit upon the retail price Of meat.
The butchers closed their shops in
protest. NJ. Janvier opened a mu-
nicipal meat market and sold the
different qualities Of meat at from
:, 10 10 cents a pound less than
butchers had done and made money
for the city. This enterprise was 50
successful that the number Of mu-
uicipal meat markets had TO be in
creased.
Organizes War Relief.
4 pleasing popularity Of every
public work done i'm Rennes is that
there is always money left over. At
the beginning of the war. NJ Janvier
organized a central committee for
war relief At the end of last year.
after having aided $4,000 soldiers
and 500 prisoners of war, distrib q
uted t.5O0. 900 meals go. 900 quarts
of milk. several hundred sacks of
coal several tons of bread and fur
uished 1000 packages of clothing.
the committee still had left about
10000 francs from a total sub
scriptiou of $3.50 francs.
The history of the financial oper
ations of the city of Rennes will
probably be a matter OF permanent
record and serve as an example in
after war debates on questions of
public administration as TO what a
business mayor can accomplish
when he is not hampered by poll
tics