FRENCH WINE CRISIS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13946, 4 July 1907, Page 7

FRENCH WINE CRISIS.

THE AGITATION SUBSIDING.

Fr««a Association—By Tslczruph-CopjrijKV PARIS, July 3.

(Received July 3, at 9.25 p.ni.) The; agitation in connection with the wino .industry in the South of Prance is ■subsidising owing to • the Government's formidable measures to enforce the luW.

Tho Paris correspondent of-the Tribune writing oil .May 17, slates: —Tlio exasperated wine-growers of the south have coniinduced to put their threats into execution. Almost incr'cdible sooiiea at llcziors, in Herahlt, yesterday marked a new phase of the crisis. The mayor and municipality have had to bow to tlio will of an angry populaco to the extent of resigning office in a body, aitct- conwnting to suppress the annual 'band contest and festival, which the pooplo deemed out of plaoo in view of the iimnihimcq of famine and ruin, and after promising a largo subvention to the townsfolk in order to enable even the poorest to attend tlio great wine-growers' (lulnonfitration at l'erpignan on Sunday licit. The eoncc : sions were wrung from the authorities by a crowd determined to go to any length to enforoe their will. The demonstration began at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. A monster procession proceeded to tlio town hall, holding aloft banners and placards with tile wopd "ltesii;i)!" written on them in huge red letters. The mayor on trie to the balcony and announced (ho first concession—namely, that lie would suppress the Imnd contest. 'This, however, was not enough. The people shouted, "Resign! Resign!" until the inayor consented (o receive a deputation of the demonstrators. The crowd sought to follow thy delegates, aiid only the massive iron doors of the town hall prevented them from tuking tlio place by storm. All tho afternoon their besieged the town hall, yelling threats and shouting-defiance at tiie municipal officers. At 6 o'clock the mayor announced lhat'the town would grant the subvention demanded. The crowd still clamoured Cor his resignation, and whoii, shortly afterwards, he gave Way aiid notified tho resignation of himself and tho entire municipality, the concession came too late. The people made another fierce, onslaught, destroyed the windows of the town hall with stones, and succeeded ill bursting ooen one of the doors. In spite of the repistunce of tlio police, a number of demonstratoVs rushed into the courtyard, and the remainder turned their attention to tho police station, which they sacked and pillaged from too to bottom. They tbreiv out all the furniture, the registers, and the Archives, atid made a bonfire of the \Vhblo in tlio public square. An attempt to set fire io the building itself was partly successful; and tho flames even spread lo llin to\Vn hall. Firemen tried in vain to fight their way through tho mob, arid the police were powerless. Troops had heen sent for from Cetle aud Montpellier. but did not arrive until well after midnight, when tho crowd jiad dispersed. In the scuffles with'the demonstrators two policenient wore daueeronslv wounded, and a woinaii received a revolver bullet in the leg. A number of other perspns were 6truck and hurt by stones. <