The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1920-08-12
High Food Prices
Taking French Toll
(F'rom a STAFF Correspondent of the
United Press.)

Icut u nouse III fdrls toudy you nave
to wait until somebody dies" was the
statement of Nine. MarcelIe Robert
Cremieux, x,daughter-in-law of Senator
Robert-Cremieux.
''House-renting agents arrive before
the undertaken to list the late renters
home"
The cities are crowded not only be
cause there is no building going on
>now. but because the country people
are not going back to the farm since
they learned that wages in the city are
higher
Nine Robert-Cremieux told me of
s.her apartment-hunting experience. II
sounded like America. She hunted for
year-then had to stay where she
was living
~ 'The day has passed when Amer
Hcans can bring a small fortune 20
France and live comfortably the rest
OF their lives" she said.
You used to get lovely bones with
large living rooms, four bedrooms and
two baths for 5000 francs. Today
they are over 1900 francs with
money deposits-and then you don't
ind them"
"Oh. living is very dear for the
French. The exchange on dollars is
high and you do not notice. But poor
France Ten departments invaded. no
coal, limited transportation. no build
, ing for six years."
This charming. educated woman.
who looks after housekeeping and
marketing herself, compared market
prices.
Cheap cuts of beef are IA francs
a kiio. about 75 cents a pound and
leg of mutton costs about 81. But
vegetables are cheap. Wheat -four is
high ad stiii mixed with rye -four. as
in war times.
France Is today paying more for
every article than she did in the most
dangerous period OF the war"
But Nine. Roberv-CremieuS AMI
other women OF her class can pay the
prices. How the poor French mother
is keeping her family together
learned of Mile. Perrin. head of the
Stars and Stripes bureau OF the Amer
lean Red Cross.
During the war and the following
months. Mile. Perrin has been direc-
tor OF 5000 French families. Mem
bers OF the American Legion adopted
the children OF 5000 French soldiers
killed in the war
Under the bureau. ZOO mothers Of
the 5000 have become self-supporting
no LONGER needing the assistance of
the Red Cross.
But the women are giving out.
said Mile. Perrin. They have worked
too hard for their children and eaten
too little themselves We send the
children 10 the country for $50 francs
month and lie; the mothers rest"
But the French people are giving
out. They are dying like fiies.'' said
French dressmaker. who told me or
six acduaintances who had died durine
, the week
~'Overwork. too little food, Rsac
ton from the terrible strain durinz
the war; They catch any disease that
comes along
''This dressmaker tells me that she
has an entirely new clientele; wives
of manufacturers. instead OF officers
: wives who are now at home making
their own clothes and even doing
their own wash. They no longer need
or can pay for Madame Liberge,s,
gowns.
They no longer visit gay tea shops
with beaux. as they did during the
war. The afternoons are no longer n
time for lively scenes and well-dressed
women. And all this has occurred
since war times. everyone agree.
Madame LiberEe confirmed what
Madame Robert-Cremieux said.
THE women don't want to 20 back
TO the farms where lovely hand-eni-
broidcred garments seen in Paris
shops are made. Then can earn more
in cities. Today ] pay my appren-
tices 30 frances. Yesterday | paid
TO-"
The lovely creations In gowns are
few. but the dainty underwear is still
plentiful. However. the quality Of
silk and muslins is not so good in the
new stocks. Gloves that used to cost
TOUR or fve francs. about 81 in the old
days. now cost ~ francs and the fnecf
80 or 65 francs Silk and cotton
gloves are all that the French womer
/ can afford.
Everything in our stores is bought
by the tourists" the shopkeepers say
Leather is still scarce and shoes
I that were 25 francs before the waI
are now four times that amount.
And when you go to some of the
batt1ehelds you can understand how
the French peasants can sell their
vegetables and fruits SO cheaply
Around Chateau -Thierry fruitful
farms Nnurish ocofp Won .an scorca