THE FRANCE OF TODAY 



205 



occurs. More than 30 per cent of such 

 criminals receive the reprieve, and it is 

 gratifying to record that the backsHders 

 of recent years number but one in eleven. 



A further progressive step was taken 

 when the French law, attacking white 

 slavery, organized a system of protec- 

 tion, of education, and of reform for de- 

 linquent girls under 16 years of age, 

 whose offenses, said the court, "Cannot 

 te considered a crime, but as due to lack 

 of education." 



Destitution among the orphans of 

 workmen dying of injuries is to a certain 

 •extent relieved by the award to the child 

 of a pension ranging from 10 to 20 per 

 -cent of the annual wage of the deceased 

 parent. 



CHILD LABOR LAWS 



While the moral and intellectual wel- 

 fare of American children has always 

 b)een guarded, perhaps better now than 

 ■ever before, the law has left their life of 

 labor largely under the control of indi- 

 v^idual and corporate influence — often 

 selfish and unwise. The awakened con- 

 science has caused the institution of a 

 National Children's Bureau, with an ex- 

 perienced chief, thus promising progres- 

 sive improvements in current unsatisfac- 

 tory conditions ; but there are no less than 

 five States in which the lawful working 

 age of children is 12 years, one year 

 earlier than France permits. In 39 States 

 the legal age for labor is 14 years, and 

 seven or more permit night work at that 

 tender age. 



When, in addition to legal provisions, 

 •one considers the unceasing supervision 

 and thorough system exercised by French 

 mothers, are we not forced to admit that 

 French children are better trained for 

 their life careers than are ours? Let us 

 Tiope that the same splendid spirit may 

 soon animate all America in efforts prop- 

 erly to protect, efficiently to educate, and 

 sanely to rear the children of our land. 

 As France has listened, so may we — to 

 the "Cry of the Children" : 



•Our blood splashes upward, O gold-heaper, 

 And your purple shows your path ; 



But the children's sob in the silence curses 

 deeper 



Than the strong' man in his wrath. 



THL FRe;nCH WORKMxVN 



A distinguished French exponent of 

 Shakespeare, Emile Montegut, in one of 

 his delightful and keen analyses of world- 

 types, many years since emphasized the 

 value to a nation of individuality wherein 

 character, independence, and originality 

 are inextricably combined. He indicated 

 the farmers of New England as most 

 prolific in such creations, but under the 

 changed conditions of today one hazards 

 little in suggesting France as similarly 

 prolific. 



The great economist, Yves Guyot, 

 states that in 1906 only 54 per cent of 

 the French industrial world were employ- 

 ees. Small individual workshops, fast 

 disappearing with us, increase steadily, 

 though slowly, in France, thus indicating 

 the progress of personal prosperity— the 

 best guarantee of the stability of democ- 

 racy. Trained in his special technique, 

 endowed with artistic tastes, stimulated 

 by prizes, in large part his own master, 

 the French workman is free to work out 

 his ideas and often does so to advantage. 

 Although poorly paid, he rarely accepts 

 tempting offers to emigrate, but steadily 

 improves at home in comfort, in wealth, 

 and in higher standards of living. New 

 methods, cheap power, modern machin- 

 ery, and industry tell the tale. 



INDUSTRIAL INSURANCE 



We were wont to pity the down-trod- 

 den laborer of Europe in contrast with 

 the free, individual workman at home ; yet 

 the French workman enjoys advantages 

 of no mean order over the American as 

 regards unemployment, employee insur- 

 ance, compensation for injuries, old-age 

 pensions, and last, but not least, frugal 

 living through low rents, cooperation, and 

 vastly superior market facilities. 



The United vStates initiated this year 

 its first concerted movement to solve the 

 serious problem of unemployment, "by 

 bringing the jobless man to the manless 

 job." France has for years had a central 

 Employment Bureau, which now numbers 

 126 well-distributed exchanges. Our cen- 

 sus shoAvs that in 1900 there were six 

 million of laborers at some period of the 

 year out of work. The same conditions 



