A BABY BONUS IN FRANCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2286, 7 June 1921, Page 2

A BABY BONUS IN FRANCE.

A LAM granting birth bonuses came into operation in France on May l>t. For Paris, 400 franc's (£10) will be paid on the birth of a third child, and this bonus will be increased by 50 francs for every child born afterwards until the family of children numbers 10. The bonus will then be 750 francs (£3O), a.nd will remain at this figure. It is the Mayor of each Arrondissement who will pay the bonus which will he given to the mother, and, in default, to the father. No matter what the social status of the families may be, the bonuses will be paid. They arenational bonuses, and not charitable doles.- White the authorities, anxious to improve the birth-rate, are ■ offering generous encouragement, it is felt that they are occupying themselves with the “birds” rather than with the “nests.” The housing question in Paris is very serious. Though the population of

the city lias increased, very little since the last census, there are considerably more menaces. Statistics for 1920 show that there were then a little under 54,000, while in 1913 there were fewer than 32,000. There are,, therefore, nearly 22,000 more families for whom acCommo-, dation has to be found. There is little or. no house-building in Paris. While authority to build was given in 2,000 cases in 1912, the authorisations in 1919 were only 500. In 1912. 28,000,000 francs was spent in providing' additional housing accommodation, but in 1919 only a little over a million francs was expended. A rent which' was 700 francs in 1912 is now 1,518 francs.