Socialists in French Municipalities/Montlucon

It was in 1892 that the Hotel de Ville of Montlucon was conquered by the Parti Ouvrier. I do not intend to enter upon what was accomplished by the socialist administration from 1892–6, because this is still fresh in the memory of all.

It is worthy of note that the department of public relief has been completely organized, that popular kitchens have been established, that there have been periodical free distributions of clothing to school children and that the school kitchens have been installed in the Ville-Sozet, and all this without interfering with the numerous reforms introduced into the municipal services, such as distribution of spring water in populous districts, abolition of personal property tax on families paying less rent than $40 a year, free supplies for school children, eight hour day for city employes and workmen, etc.

The work of the socialist municipal council presided over by my lawless predecessor and friend, Jean Dormoy, was so beneficial to the whole population that in 1896 the ticket of the Parti Ouvrier was re-elected entire on the first ballot, over a coalition ticket on which our opponents combined all their strength, a ticket republican by courtesy but frankly reactionary, headed by the Senator Chantemille.

The administration from 1896 to 1900 has ​persevered in continuing and improving the work of its predecessors, in one sense its own, for Dornioy was still at its head.

If its base of operations was larger, on account of the growth of the city, the difficulties became greater, in proportion to the needs of this population of wage-workers. The executive power, instead of being regarded as it was by the old bourgeois mayors, was constantly directed with a view to the well being, the convenience and the health of the workers.

The sanitation of the streets in the working class districts was attended to and water was distributed in abundance; washing places were constructed.

Public relief was liberally supplied. Free school supplies and distribution of clothing, at first restrained by the central government, were fully developed.

The professional school, installed three months ago in a magnificent building, has lecture rooms befitting a city of more than 35,000 inhabitants.

A school of design of mathematics applied to industry is annexed to it, and was opened April 22 in the presence of the delegates of all the workingmen’s unions of Montlucon.

The new municipal building of the Ville-Gozet was dedicated on the 24th of last September, our friend Jules Gueede presiding. In it is now located the public kitchen already established.

​Space permits but a brief mention of various projects, the general sanitation of the city by a sewer system, the construction of an orphan's home; improved water works, new school restaurants; covered markets, a second public kitchen, a kindergarten, etc., most of which are provided for in a bond issue submitted to the Council of State, which may be withholding its approval for political reasons.

Moreover, certain works of ordinary administration have been completed, such as a building for the savings bank, a street railway project, the construction of stone dikes on the river bank, etc. Let me add that the socialist municipal administration has captured the people to such an extent that at the special election of Dec. 26, 1899, made necessary by the death of Jean Dormoy, the candidates of the Parti Ouvrier had no opposition.

Note that from the financial point of view, everything has been accomplished without increasing expenditures by a centime, while the highest estimate of the budget for 1900 does not exceed $150,000, and the hospital and the bureau of charities have no income outside the city's appropriations. Moreover, the municipality has paid off some old debts left by the bourgeois administration, notably a sum of more than $8,000 for work on the Lyceum.

I cannot better end than by a tribute to my predecessor, our lamented comrade, Jean Dormoy, to whose memory is due the honor of these reforms of which the Parti Ouvrier is proud.F. CONSTANS, Mayor.