The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-14
COST OF LIVING !. STILL WORRIES , FRENCH PEOPLE
Essential FOOdstuffs Con- tinue To Mount To
 Higher Levels
(By Associated Press)

By Associated PreSS)
 PARIS, Sept. 13.-The upward move. ment in the cost of living, hich began about the middle of last year, shows no sign of ceasing. There was a slight drop this summer, the index figure fall ing from SIS in May to 360 in July. But that was due purely to an abun- dance of vegetables.
 Meat, sugar, eggs, milk, bread and other essential foodstuffs have held their ground, or even risen in price. There seems no reason why the high cost of living should not continue its upward Course. In the winter vegetables will be scarcer and consequently dearer. Rents have only just begun to go up and in reality are declared to rule less than they ought to be in order for houses to pay fair return on the capi- tai invested in them.
 Flies From Morocco
 The Countess de Chambrun, nee Longworth,, breakfasted last week at Rabat with her husband, who is the French general commanding the French expeditionary forces in southern Mo rocco, and had luncheon with her son at Penthouse, France. seven hours later, having been one of the first women to fly from Morocco to France. The plane in which the countess flew left Mo rocco in a dense fog, but shortly after ward emerged into the sunshine and thereafter the journey was under favor able weather conditions.
 Thackara To Depart
 Robert P. Skinner, who has been transferred as consul general from Lon don to Paris, will take up his new post about October 15. Alexander NJ. Thac- kara, the retiring consul general, will leave for the United States at the end of September. John +. Simons. who is acting consul general ad interim, will leave for Harrisburg, Pa, at the end of October, where he will be married to Miss Nancy Robinson, daughter of Mrs. Thomas H. Robinson.
 Advise Long Hair ..
 Bobbed hair is going out of fashion, if one is to believe the Parisian hair dressers. The hair-dressers, however, ad- init that thousands of women still are having their tresses cut short and that business never was so good, but they affirm that some women, who had their hair shortened in order to be chic, now are repenting their act, because they have discovered that putting the chip per and the razor to their necks has developed a nice crop of wiry, instead of silken hair, which resembles a days growth of beard on any man.
 At any rate enterprising hair-dressers are encouraging their patrons to let their hair grow again and are promoting the business of their allies, the milliners, for the wearing of some sort of con- traption for the concealment of the back of the neck and straggly hair during the long, slow progress of its growing out again.
 And so there you are, madame, "said one ironical marcel waver to a woman. ITO be beautiful there is lot of nice little suffering before you. You might have known that once your hair was cut, it would be necessary some day or other to let it grow again"
 Chefs Have Grievance
 Eating forms such important part in the Frenchman's life that it is not surprising the French press gives much attention to matters pertaining to food and it's preparation. French master cooks have found a new grievance, in that there no longer are any fixed hours in Paris for meals. They say some de mand lunch at Il 80 o'clock in the morning, while others arrive at 3 o'clock in the afternoon for the same meal, and drag it out until 6 o'clock. Then diners arrive and keep on arriving until 10 80 o'clock at night. The chefs com plain it is impossible to work con scientiously under such conditions and declare it soon will be impossible to find help for their kitchens.
 Cigar Smoking Declines
 Cigar smoking has decreased greatly in France in recent months, not because cigarettes or pipes are finding greater favor, but because the price of a decent cigar has become prohibitive except, as the French say, to Americans or the nationals of other countries which have favorable rates of exchange.
 T used to like a good cigar now and then, but really no longer can afford it." is frequently heard remark, and a generation is growing up without acquiring a taste for cigars. The state tobacco monopoly is blamed for this falling off in cigar smoking, as it is the state alone in France which sells cigars, cigarettes, smoking tobacco and snuff. The state does all the manufacturing and only allows foreign articles or to- DdCCO tO DC lLlpOA lCA oPSSAoA NOA- ditions.
 In it's anxiety to raise revenue the state has increased the price of all cigars, and especially the better brands, so that consumers are exercising their only privilege when in the hands of any monopoly of refusing to purchase. Therefore, the state, instead of increas- ing it's revenue, is losing it, experts de- clare.
 Deputy Bouat is bringing a bill be- fore parliament in an endeavor to have the government reorganize the tobacco monoply. He points out that cigar smoking is comparatively new and cam not be considered an absolute necessity of life and that it is possible for the monopoly to raise prices to the point of killing the consumption of cigars.
 BOARD TAKES HAND.
 CHICAGO, Sept. 13.-The United States Railroad Labor Board today as- sumed jurisdiction of the dispute of