FRENCH PEASANTS' GRIEVANCES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12827, 11 June 1907, Page 7

FRENCH PEASANTS' GRIEVANCES.

' HUGE DEMONSTRATION IN THE _ SOUTH OF FRANCE. REDRESS OR NO TAXES. ' 7 rr.Sted Pre-.* A«snciaiiort-By Electrio i ,'. United Yelcgrapb-Copyn.ht. mcceived June 10th. 0.-J8 p.m.) ' X PARIS, Juno 10. Two and a half million pr-r.snnts in '■■the South of France are .solidly vi sup- , port of tho agitation for legislation ' Jgainst the adulteration of wine Hah » million flocked to Alontpellier to attend a monster peaceful demonstration yesterday. Hundreds of special trains broiißht pooplo from beyond a radius '0f twenty-four miles. The organisers - stipulated that tlio.«=e within that distance should wnlk or ride in carts. The Bishop placed tho cathedral and the churches at tiie organisers' disposal to accommodate women and children uniblo to find lodgings* Alarccllin Albert, tho leader of tho . ■ movement', himself a peasant, enjoined the strictest sobriety on his followers, lest the cause bo injured. Ho cm-phasi-cd his advice by protesting against the needless presence of ten thousand troops. No intoxicants wcro w,d ' -i • • _. The peasants carried miniature coffins, guillotines, black flags, and ban- • ners bearing tho inscription, "Soldiers, .' do not fire on your brothers, who aro famisning." They marched in procession through tho streets of Alontpol- • litf- ■ Tfio meeting resolved that unless the Government yielded to their do-__BH—to-day, payment of fixes would bore/used, and that mayors und member* of municipalities in tho districts affected would resign, while those refusing to do so would b<* coerced.