GIPSIES IN FRANCE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1927, 9 December 1913, Page 3

GIPSIES IN FRANCE.

Details have been published of the instructions issued in France to Prefects of Departments with regard to tho law lor the control of tho movements of ■ gipsies and peddlers. This law was passed in July, 1912, but, owing to the difficulties, arising from it, is only just ecniing into operation. Some such legislation was inevitable as gipsies havo long been an intolerable nuisance in the rural districts. Sottto of. the more thinly populated regions have been terrorised by bands too strong for the lochl polico to deal with. Last autumn French newspapers were full of accounts of audacious thefts committed by gipsies. The most serious incident took placo near Moutpellicr, where one policeman was killed and four were wounded in an 'attempt to make arrests. Under the new law all gipsies will havo to obtain from tho sub-prefect of tho arrondisenient in which they are found a card of identity giving an accurate de scription of the owner, including a photograph and a thumb-mark. "All heads of families and chiefs of bands must, in addition, be provided with a complcto description of the persons and vehicles composing their caravans. No gipsies will in future bo allowed to cross tho frontier unless tlicy can prove, by possession of such passports, 'that theiiVnationality is French. It is honed tiiat these regulations will provide some means of- controlling undesirable gipsy, aliens.