Le Matin 21 juillet 1923 (art. page deux)

POWER FAILURE

Mr. Georges Maus, President of the Federation of Retail Traders, has just addressed to Mr. Juillard, Prefect of the Seine, the following letter:

Mr. Prefect,

I have the honor, on behalf of the retail merchants of the 8th, 9th and 17th arrondissements of Paris, to draw your kind attention to the serious damage that most of them have recently suffered as a result of a total or partial deprivation of electric current, of such an unusual duration that it certainly far exceeds the classic fortuitous event or the usual maintenance requirements.

It seems difficult to accept that a company in charge of such an important public service could interrupt it for up to fourteen consecutive days and thus deprive three working districts of Paris of two elements so essential to business — light and power. — without the competent authority, from which it holds its monopoly, intervening to ascertain the causes, establish responsibilities and consider whether the principle of compensation does not arise.

This is why, acting as the interpreter of the merchants referred to above, I respectfully ask you to prescribe urgently such investigation as it will be up to, to reserve, as of now, all the rights of these merchant subscribers .

Confident in the interest you are willing to take in Parisian commerce, please accept, Monsieur le Préfet, etc.

The President, GEORGE MAUS