M. Paul Deschanel, formerly President of the French Chamber, hax lately submitted to his Government an instructive report on the cost of living "in society " in different conntrie.. The immediate object of the report is to obtain an increase of pay for French Consular representatives, with a view to the amount of entertaining to which their position compels them. But what people of Consular rank are forced to as a Frenchman who understands naturally the value of money, as an official who has lived in several different of society, may be heard with no less conviction than interest. He has divided the world into six zones in the scending order of expensiveness. In the lowest we find Belgium, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, Portuga: and Switzerland. Next above these come France, Germany, Monte negro, Denmark, Sweden and Nor-may, where living is a fifth dearer. Again, there is a higher " medium dearness of living" in Great Britain and Holland, in Austria-Hungary, th~ Balkan States and Greece, in Turkey and in Morocco. Another fifth must and Datch India, Siam, China, Korea and Japan. Last of all in Canada, the United States, South America, the West Indies and Africe (everywhere except under the Turk) " the cost of living is excessive." What a man and his wife can do comfortably and well in Belgium on £566 " year would cost them £1,133 in New York. With reference to Great Britain, we might reply to M. Deschanel that the cost of living depends, not upon what man must have, bat upon what he wants to have. The actual cost of life in England might be made as low as, if not lower than in any country. But the general standard of wants is higher and thus we arrive at a prevailing other European countries, among the poor. This high standard is worth taking into consideration because of its indirect bearing on the size of the Bodget which we were discussing yesterday. Governments would certainly not be allowed to be)
plentiful in all expenses " but that the. poplar ideas of the nation where money is concerned are acc to prodigal'ty and large figures.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.