Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1912 — French Socialist Bill Doomed [ARTICLE]

French Socialist Bill Doomed

Trades People and Politicians of Republic Fight Measure That Would Lower Living Cost. { Paris. —The government’s proposal to reduce the present high cost of living by the establishment of municipal bakers’ and butchers' shops throughout the country is meeting with determined opposition from various quarters. V It was of course foreseen that the trades people, whose business would be subject to competition, would raise an outcry, but it has come as a great surprise that many politicians* who might have been expected to back it heartily, afe either maintaining a neutral position or supporting the opposition. In nearly all cases the radical socialists have criticised the project severely as unworkable and inefficacious and the very few —that is the, collectivists —who have felt bound for. the sake of consistency to favor the bill, are doing so with very itttfe enthusiasm. An excellent indication of the EtrOPS feeling against the bill has Just been given by the debate and vote of the Paris municipal council on H resolution presented by Councilor Robiglia, protesting against the creation of co-operative shops. At the meeting of the council, which was exceptionally Sreß attended, forty members voted for the resolution and thirteen against it All, the latter were avowed collectivists, but a number of extreme “lefts,” or radical

members abstained from voting altogether. In accordance with, the large majority of votes a protest, strongly worded, has been forwarded to the prime minister. Thus this extremely important experiment in municipal trading, supported by the, government, has been rejected by the greatest municipal body in France. The feeling among the public is correspondingly strong. It is pointed out that co-operative shops not being obliged to make a profit and being backed by tbe funds of the municipality will be able to retail goods at low prices and thus badly

damage, if not ruin, the business of private trades people. At tbe same time the probable raising of taxes. and the various notorious instances of mismanage ment by the state when It has trle-1 to compete In trade or commerce are pointed to as proof of the unsoundness of the measure. Tbe bill has caused the greatest consternation among the small shop keepers of the country, who see themselves threatened with ruin. Their unions are prepared to defend themselves to the utmost against the favored competitor. In view of the almost universal disapproval of the government’s proprosed plunge into socialism It seems probable that the bill will quietly ba dropped. , 'T~”~