FRANCE. 



THE CONDITIONS OF RURAL IvlFE IN FRANCE. 



oFFiciAi, sourcp: : 



DuGE DE Bernonvilt.e (ly.) E^iiquetc sur les conditions de la vie ouvri^re et rurale en France en 

 1913-1914 (Enquiry as to the conditions of labouring and rural life in France in 1913-1914). 

 In Budetin de la Statislique generate de la France et du Service d' Observation des Prix. — 

 Vol. V, part I, Paris, October 1916 ; Vol VI, part II, January 1917. 



By a decree of 17 Ma}'' 1913 a commission was instituted at the Minis- 

 try of Labour for the study of " the physiology of labour in trades, and the 

 conditions of existence and aptitude for trades and its formation in la- 

 bouring and peasant families ". This commission comprised members of 

 parliament and members of the Institut de France and of scientific 

 bodies. It divided itself into two sub-commisions of which one undertook 

 research in laboratories and the other investigations and statistical re- 

 search. Among the items on the latter's programme was " Diet of labou- 

 ring and rural families. Share of alcohol in the family budget. Relation 

 between housing and a labourer's health and life ". 



Before we examine the results of this enquiry into rural life we will 

 to some extent specify the method of research. 



§ I. Method of enquiry. 



Following on a circular of the Ministry of Labour, dated July 1913, 

 the prefects supplied lists of those willing to collect the necessary data. In 

 order to ensure uniformity two forms of questions were prepared, one cover- 

 ing information as to each family visited, the other as to each village or 

 rural district taken altogether. The latter form could be filled up only in 

 the rural districts but the former equally well in a town. The questions 

 on the former bear on the detailed composition of a family, its diseases, 

 housing conditions, conditions as to trade and income, duration of work, 

 cost of food, heating and lighting and finally skill in a trade. The second 

 form provides information as to the number of families in a district and 

 their distribution according to trades, the conditions of rural industries, 

 the designation of disabled persons, rural emigration and the cost of main- 

 taining children in labouring families. 



