Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-14
FRENCH WORKERS
KEPT OCCUPIED
lelsureIy Supply, Steady De-
mand and immigration Rules
Explain Condition.

~ the Associated Press.
PARIS.-France is proud that she
has no unemployment, although he1
business suffers from the worldwide
depression
Paul Reynaud, minister of finance
told the American Club that France Is
better off than her neighbors. He esti-
mated French reduction in trade as IL
per cent.
Premier Andre Tardieu, in another
address admitted he was an incorriglble
optimist and said he had reason for
being so.
Shake off the load of dead ideas
that burden the living" he urged. Be
ware of the epidemic of grumbling that
seems to be attacking individuals
classes and peoples. Be faithful to the
10y of work well done, expressed in
France in a song of centuries"
Just how France is travelling with rea-
sonable comfort over the slough OF
despond is explained by economists as
situation of many factors.
Unemployment Little Bother.
Unemployment rarely has bothered
the French, they say, because her Sys-
tenn of work is based on the full order
book. Men aren't laid off often because
a business firm seldom takes on men
for rush period but keeps the old stan
busy all the time, advance orders car
rying over any slack months. AS en-
ployment is constant, buying keeps up
fairly well.
The war reduced Frances manpower
by a million and a half. To replace
this loss great numbers of immigrant
laborerS were admitted under temporary
ministry of labor licenses. Now when
unemployment threatens the ministry
1a6 iY11fl
Depression, nevertheless, is recog-
nized as affecting France to an increas-
ing degree. One indication is the auto
mobile industry. The largest plant here
in April showed a drop of z per cent IN
output from last year and in May this
reduction became 25' per cent. Some
other makers did slightly better lncluo-
ing Ford, who is reported to have I'M
proved slightly on last years productlon
of 1000 cars month.
Other American cars have suffered
badly this Summer which is attributed
to the disposition of the average French
man to buy lower-priced cars. Luxury
types both French and American, sell
as usual the rich being rich and want
ing to spend their money.
More Difficult Lines.
Other lines are more difficult to check,
but trade papers and economists gen.
orally agree trade is slackenlng IN
France although prices are keeping up.
This maintenance of prices. indeed,
Is one cause of disaffection, which finds
expression in the strikes, particularly IN
the textile region, against the new social
insurance system. This insurance re-
uuires contributions Of per cent each
from employer and employe, with addl-
tons by the government as necessary.
AS many as 100000 men were on strike
at one time, demanding pay increases
to balance the workers contribution.
Their spokesman directed attention to
the increasing cost of bread and to the
failure of commodity prices to fall as
business declined.
Tourist trade last year was bad and
rot a bad start this year, both because
Of depression in the United States and
other countries and because Of the
weather this Summer discouraged trav-
cling.
But. with all these difficulties, France
maintains a tone of optimism obeying
the cheerful injunction of Premier Tar
dieu to Danish grumbling and with a
certain contentment in Frances posses
sion of 81, 300, o00, 900 in gold, the high
est per capita in the world.