The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-28
E|GHT-H HOUR DAY BENEFITS FRENCH
Show Favorable Physical And Moral Reaction To Longer
 Recreation Period

WASHINGTON Oct. 27.-France for four years has had the eight hour workday. Government investi- gation of the advantages accruins from the additional two hours of in- dustrial freedom daily shows both a favorable physical and moral re- action.
 Alcoholism has sustained a marked setback. Statistics record decided decrease in arrests for drunkenness, disorderly conduct and other crimes traceable by the authorities to the too free use of liquor and a corre- spondingly large reduction in the number of saloons.
 Gardening and homes in the coun- try have become the lure for count less thousands; the number of ath- lletiC clubs has almost doubled owing to the enrolment of workingmen; at- tendance at the vocational and tech nical schools has increased enorm- ously, according to the government investigation.
 Parliaments purpose in the present investigation by the French minister of labor is to find out how the diff 1 ferent classes of workingmen em- lploy their new spare time and what measures should be taken to facili- tate to the utmost the exercise of their activities as indicated by their preferences. The investigation will require several months more and the data now being recorded on the So- cial and economic changes produced by the application of the new law will constitute an important national publication.
 In order accurately to estimate the results thus far established, one must remember the conditions peculiar to French life--low birth rate, perma- nent ravages of tuberculosis, un- sanitary conditions of tenement houses. lack of practical hygiene oi industrial centers and densely popu- lated districts. These conditions were unfortunately too general dur ing the pre-war period, and the long struggle. followed by several years of economic disturbance, could only aggravate them.
 Retrogression of alcoholism has been attributed by some to the in- crease in the price of alcohol. but the corresponding increase in wages to balance the high cost of living in- validates this explanation. In all the centres under investigation the num- Der of arrests for drunkenness shows general diminution. In 1913-14, last census. the official number of licensed saloons in Paris was 30,000. According to the 1922-23 census the number of now 2S,000, a reduction of 2,O00 for the 20 districts of Paris.\
 In the devastated regions, which constitute a tenth of the total area of France, and which are now being reconstructed, general reduction averaging 1U per cent, has bee1 noted in the number of saloon H. censes. In the whole of France the decrease in the number of saloons is in proportion. Northern France is one of the most populated districts and contain many industrial centres steel, textile, coal mines-which condition is considered conductive to consumption of alcohol. However, this region is the one where the de- crease has been most marked. In Roubaix, the heart of the textile in- drstry, the number of saloons, which was 2,92S in 1923, is but 2,332' in 1922, for population of 120.000. a diminu- ton of COG saloons since the law was voted in 1919.
 One of the characteristic tenden- cies of the French workman is his liking for country life, his instinct for individual property, and his in- terest in gardening.
 That form of recreation which has increased the most in popularity as a result of the working gman's spare hours, is the community garden. Va rious philanthropic organizations providing gardens for laborers num- bered only 1S,000 gardens before the war. This number exceeded 50.000 in 1922, to which must be added 200.0 % gardens established by employer. and by groups of workmen during the same period. In these figures are