DISCONTENT IN SOUTH OF FRANCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8469, 22 June 1907, Page 5

DISCONTENT IN SOUTH OF FRANCE.

REAL CAUSE OF THE CRISIS. Received June 21, 7.40 a.m. LONDON, June 20. M. Yves Guyot, editor of the j Paris Siecle, and a well-known I writer on political economic subjects, in a letter to The Times, states that the four departments concerned in ; the wine crisis represent 3 3-5 per j cent, of the population of France, ' and their vineyards 'Comprise one--1 fitth of the surface of the four deI partments. The output of those I vineyards is 30 per cent, of France's total quantity, and 15 per cent, of the total value. The cause of the crisis, M. Guyot states, is manifest After the phylloxera scare Italian wines were prohibited, and Spanish wines were heavily taxed. The winegrowers in ' the'four departments, imagining that they commanded the home- market, planted a vine called "Aramon," which yielded much fruit and juice, but very little alcohol. The result is that the wine will not keep, and cannot be transported. Then the winegrowers, wishing to strengthen the wine, added sugar to the vintage, as it changes into alcohol, and next added water. They had previously had too much wine, too feeble in quality; they made more wine, of worse quality. The wine trade l-efused to-purchase it. The winegrowers thereupon tried to conduct the trade themselves, were compelled to seek isolated customers, and thus incurred losses. .ESCAPE OF M. ALBERT. THE ARREST OF M. FERROUL. Received June 21, 8.50 a.m. PARIS. June 20. M. Albert, who was suspected of a design for the confederation of the disaffected provinces, with himself as president, escaped disguised as a woman. A fresh winegrowers' committee repiaces the arrested men. When M. Ferroul was arrested in Narbonne the military were obstructed by a large body of women armed with pitch-forks, the leader wearing a red cap and carrying a big rjistol. •M. Ferroul appeared at a window in nightcap and pyjamas, and urged his bodyguard to remain calm, declaring: "I surrender. This is the proudest day of my life. It needed ten thousand soldiers to arrest me."

TROOPS FIRE ON RIOTERS. Received June 21, 10.40 p.m. PARIS. June 21. A message from Narbonne, dated June 19th, which was delayed in transmission, reports that a patrol of Cuirassiers, on June 19th, being hissed, charged a mob on the Boulevard Gambetta with drawn swords. The rioters hurled chairs at the soldiers and horses. One horse was killed. The Cuirassiers then fired a carbine volley, the rioters replying with revolvers. Fifteen of the demonstrators were wounded and one killed. Barricades were erected, which the infantry demolished. Two of the wounded have since died. Many soldiers were wounded. Martial law will be proclaimed on Thursday. Received June 21, 10.10 p.m. ' PARIS, June 21. In the Chamber of Deputies, M. Clemenceau, Premier, declared that troops had defended, and would conto defend, public buildings when attacked. His orders to the troops were not to load their rifles until the last minute and only fire in .the event of extreme danger. Though his heart bled his duty was clear, for tne unity of the country was'at stake. The troops defending the sub-prefec-ture at Narbonne were assailed with revolver shots. M. Mulas '(interrupting): They did not reply. They were herpes. (Prolonged and unanimous cheers.) M. Clemenceau, proceeding, said that the firing continued and men were seen to fall. The mob were twice summoned to disperse. Then what might be expected happened. The troops fired on the rioters, and one was killed and fifteen wounded, but it was feared that the number of troops wounded was still greater. The officials at Narbonne were unable to do their work. Similar events occurred at Mont Pelier. An exconvict was included among the rioters, several of whom had been arrested. Nearly all of those arrested at Mont Pelier were youths belonging to the anti-Republican party. This statement led to an uproar. Amongst the members of theßight the statement was received with cheers. It was met by members of the Left with cries of, "They were hooligans and not winegrowers who' attacked the public buildings at night."

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