'As a reminder of the continued existence of the voluntary contribution fund for the extinction' of the floating debt, the authorities a few days ago staged a curious scene at the Mint, Nineteen million francs' worth of Goverment stack certifieates went up in smoke while a group of photographers recorded the scene and about a score of spectators, all news; Teporters, shouted. "Vive La France!" The, certificates formed part of the mass handed over to the voluntary contribution fund last year, and {their destruction accordingly Yelieves the State of a corresponding amount of liability. Shortly before {two o'clock, four uniformed servants of the Finance Ministry wheeled the securities, tightly sealed in twenty Targe packages, into the furnace room of the Mint. " Four furnaces were going at full blast, producing heat, that the photographers [Present were afraid—their plates Would melt. When the stone lids were removed, the flames blazed up to m height of several feet, M, Lebrun, president of the Si king Fund Commission, made a statement to the effect that the destruction of the stock was in gecordance with law, and mentioned the names of the ettler officials attendance as bundles then were dropped one by tone into the furnace. As the last of them vanished in grey ashes, swept skyward by the force of 1 t, it was announced that the total' amount given to the voluntary, contribution fund up to June 30 was Fra, 204,732,495.15, of which Fra. 226/084,162.75 was in the currencies of various countries. The fund still is open, and. contributions are) coming in at the rate of about Fr, 3,000,000 a month, The Democratic Prince The Prinze of Wales's simplicity and absence of "side," as shown, during his recent visit to Paris, continue to provide French writers with themes for pleasant anecdotes. M. Pierre Mille, for instance, relates. that, while he was acting as special correspondent at the front during the war, he was invited to dinner by a British general. When he waa about to leave, a ktinki-clad figure, who he at first took for a youn Private soldier, produced his overcoat and helped him to put lie was on the point of putting his hand in his pocket in search of a tip when fortunately he caught the general's eye and read it a wireless message, warning im to desist. He subsequently learned that the young man whom he very -nearly "presented with a tip was the Prince of Wales, and, though the incident happened long ago, a cold shudder still runs down his spine as he thinks of the social' atrocity he was on the point of perpetrating quite unwittingly.
lille goes on to say that the Prince's act was in accordance with wa dition followed on several similar occasions by his grandfather, and was a modern survival of the days of chivalry, when nobles were served by young men of blood as good as, their own and work which nowadays would be considered menial gladly was performed by Pages, Who were taught to regard
service, a right and proper form. of Paris, July 22.
The French athletic sports authorities are not at all pleased with the Senate, that body having ad-Journed for the summer recess without voting the money which was to have been devoted tp the pre-aration of French athletes for the Olympic Games to be held next year at Amsterdam, A deputation Went to see M. Poincaré and suggested that he, og Finance Minis-searce in France, and it is customary for private individuals to take initiatives of this kind when: pression that the vote for athletics would entail a corresponding—reduction in an agricultural credit which the senators naturally would regard as more useful, without refalizing the amount of. publicity' centring on the Olympic Games, or the time required to teach promising athletes and get them into proper condition. It may be, of Jcourse,, that the Senate does not. approve of the Olympic Games in principle and looks upon them as causes of friction and international [jealousies, as sometimes they ha Proved to be. in France 'A kind of sport. which, without being Olympic or even athletic, en-Joys great popularity. throughout France, has just been demonstrated in the Tuileries Garden, where play-lors of bowls gathered from far: and wide. The French game of dowls is not played on a green, bat on a rolled gravel path, which is by no means clear of obstacles, though the players are entitled to pick up any stones they may see pear the rather bowl, about the first,' is made of hard and heavy' wood and is studded all round with horse-nails. There is no bias on the bowl, which is tossed in the air, the Dowler's accuracy depending on skilful twist of the fingers. When an opponent's "wood" is lying in a. Position likely to-score a point, the Ibowler takes a short run and knocks out of play with a fast lob—a feat by no means easy to accom-Iplish. "The "boulietes" numerous in France and have s0 /many clubs that they talk of from-jing a federation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.