PARIS AND LONDON.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 71, 26 March 1910, Page 9

PARIS AND LONDON.

AN INTERESTING COMPARISON. UP TO~~DATE. Paris, like London, never ceases to expand, but the expansion somewhat differs (remark* a writer in the Natal Mercury). A few notable efforts have been mudc to render London \rm fordid and unarti&tic in its outer a*pect. The Thames Embankment in a magnificent thoroughfare, and here and there clearance* have been made, notably in the Strnnd, but how slowly things move, to look at the unfinished Kingsway, the hoardings hiding heapts of dirty, unbuilt land, one would think the whole neighbourhood in chancery, or the municipality bankrupt. The writer, visiting London aftev an absence of four years, asked a stalwart police officer why practically nothing had been done during the past few year* to open up nnd erect houses on the vacant land where formerly stood dirty narrow streets? My friend in blue was a man of few words, and for an answer he ««id. "No money !" I'aris does not stick at want of funds when necessary improvements or beautification of the already ebperb city are wanted. Go where you will from the centre, passing the world-famed Champs Eiywes, as far as the Bois de Boulogne, everywhere magnificent mansionx, many of ihcm veritable palaces, have been constructed, or aro being constructed, each more sumptuous ana artistic than the last. Every avenue speaks of wealth und culture. Yet Paris wants more und more money, and is now raising a loan of £39,000,000— 0n1y one of many loans, which brings up the capital's debt to an enormous total, equal, we are informed, to the national debt of several European countries ! Everything tends to show the growing prosperity and wealth of Paris. Tho splendid metropolis is not tho least of the wonders of modern times, and yet, although this year it is multiplying it* millions of passengers, and has increased it. i takings by over five millions of francs, yet the number of carriages and auto.s is ever increasing. 1 n 1901 Paris powewed 10,445 cabs ; to-day these are reduced to 8085, but in 1903 ' eight automobiles for public hire appeared, 39 in 1905, 1465 in 1907, and 5246 in 1809. Besides these 1672 automobiles of "luxury" and for hire, add to these 8203 private carriages and 47,000 carts and business vehicles, omnibuses, tramcare, etc., and wo arrive at a total of 62,000 horce vehicles and 16 automobiles — an increase of 200 per cont. eince 1900. Yet the population of Paris and suburbs has only increased from 3,500,000 in 1901 to 4,020,000 in 1909. The dangers of street traffic have § really increased, and there is a great eal of truth in the dry wit of an American visitor, who declared that any ono venturing out in the streets of Pariii had jußt a sporting chance of returning home alive. M. Lepine, the Prefect of Police, accounts for the intense traffic in Paris by reason of the fact that during certain seasons no fewer than 250,000 foreigners remain as visitors in the gay capital for a few weeks or months, and that these are constantly in the street*. Baedeker, in 1894, describes Paris a* the roost attractive city of the world, and a veritable treasury of art and industry. To this description may be added the most luxurious and progressive.