PEDDAR'S PECCADILLOES.

NZ Truth, Issue 133, 17 August 1907, Page 4

PEDDAR'S PECCADILLOES.

WHY IS HE NOT PROSECUTED?

Is Mayor Hislop Afraid of Anything ?

A City Council Scandal that Needs Investigation.

It was only natural to suppc^e that the' disclosures m "Truth!' of Alfred Peddar's alleged peculations at the Town Hall came as a great shock to the community, many members of which were greatly surprised, indeed, to learn that Peddar had gone wrong. If one may judge from what is daily heard, Peddar was a popular individual, the last m the world who would be expected to do anything crooked. Unfortunately, sometimes,, it is the unexpected that happens, and the fact that "Truth's" assertions that Peddar lias been proved a thief have not been contradicted, together with the daily statements; which, if anything, are too persistent to be ignored, that Mayor Hislop, or whoever is responsible to -the citizens, intends to take no steps whatever m the way of prosecuting Peddar, is quite sufficient or ought to be held sufficient, to prove that the minute clerk is crooked, and ■that the municipal authorities intend to compound a felony. Naturally .enough, the people who have anything to do with Wellington's civic affairs are very reticent on Peddar's peccadilloes. What they know, if they know anything at all., is held a very close and guarded secret. This much, howeyeri, has. leaked out. Peddar's defalcations are very extensive, and to get over any trouble m the way of putting the books right, Peddar is to he allowed to refund what he is alleged to have pocketed. In connection with the Peddar business some very ugly rumors are afloat, and if the members of the Wellington City Council intend to stand idly by, arid foy their silence COMPOUND PEDDAR'S CRIME, then, indeed, are the citizens of this city deserving of every pity for having sent such men into the- Council to so muddle and mismanage their* affairs. Whatever the . extent of Peddar's peculations are ''Truth" cannot with certainty say. We said before that they have been estimated between £500 and £800. Beyond one single assertion to the contrary, and to ihe effect that the embezzlements have been exaggerated, "Truth" sees no reason to withdraw that estimation. If it- is less, so. much the better, for Peddar. Perhaps he would have got away with thousands had the " opportunity presented itself. Whatever the amount is, and it is f tolerably certain that it is substantial, "Truth" again wants to know the reason why. Peddar is n n t being treated like every other civil or GoV-, ernment servant against whom a prima facie case of dishonesty has been made out. If Peddar had been some thirty-bob-a-week quill-pusher, and had pounced on the city's funds, if he had no influence, no friends at court, it's a mint of money to a mince pie that ere this he would have been before the Police Court, and would probably be due to take his stand m the Criminal Court dock facing Judge and. Jury. If Peddar had been a tram conductor and had stolen 10s he mig-ht have been dragged hack from the ' other end of the globe to v answer a charge of theft. Peddar was not an ordinary clerk, he was a huge slice above a tram conductor. Peddar seems to possess a wonderful pull. He seems -to have friends at court, and the apparent result is that he is allowed to save himself from the unpleasant CONSEQUENCES OF A CRIMINAL TRIAL by refunding Uhat which -he is said to have stolen, and because lie is willing, or will pay it 'back, Mayor HisloP,' no doubt with the consent of the Council, is prepared to compound a felony, which under our Criminal Code is a crime punishable by a long stretch of imprisonment. It looks, therefore, that the City Council is to cover one crime with another. That is the only logical conclusion that can be possibly arrived at. Now, "Truth" is naturally curious, and m various ways, from various persons it has gleaned "that Mayor Tommy Hislop is averse to prosecuting a dishonest servant. We do not know, nor do we think that there are many business < men m Wellington who derive any pleasure, or even satisfaction, m sending a dishonest servant to gaol, more especially when that dishonest servant has hitherto borne an irreproachable character. It is not n pleasure, too often it is a duty with employers that a prosecution is initiated. If a private firm declines to prosecute a thief, • that is no reason why the City Council, or a Mayor of a City, should "be averse to a prosecution just because that man has a wife and a young family. If sympathy entered into every transaction of every day. Commercial life, a rotten state of affairs would soon exist. The Law would he set at nought, thieves would go unpunished and honest men and women would be denied that Justice due to all. If because Mayor Hislop can never forget THE FACE OF A WIFE of a man lie prosecuted for dishonesty, what safeguard can he offer the citizens that the rest of the Council's servants are fit to be trusted to handle the citizen's money. Moreover, it might well be asked if it is sympathy that is actuating Mayor Hislop m clogging the wheels of Justice m Peddar's case ? Is he afraid of any thong. Can it possibly be that the Mayor of Wellington, who was returned by such an overwhelming majority a few months back, is fripfttened to have his administration of the city's affairs investigated m open court. Is he afraid • that awkward questions might be asked by some curious counsel that will tend to lower his prestige. "Truth" cannot answer these questions. The eventual outcome of this Peddar affair will certainly decide that there is, something wrong somewhere. If it is to be the case that Peddar, against, whom such awful allegations are being daily made., is to be shielded because he returned .f-iiat he h.-vs stol-e^i, if m •^njunctiott i

with that fact, that because Mayor Hdslop is averse to the prosecution ' of a dishonest servant because he cannot forget the face of the poor, broken-hearted wife of a man who was prosecuted, then all ''Truth" can say, and it believes every sensibleminded man and woman m the city will back it up, is that, the City Corporation's affairs are such that nothing short of a special and open day)li'gh"t investigation of the Council's affairs will suffice to clear ih* suspicion that the City Corporation is a den of corruption. Again, "Truth" says it hates secrecy, especially where it concerns the common interests of the citizens of Wellington- We have heard that the Committee of Finance ' HAVE HELD AN INVESTIGATION and the. result is that Peddar is proved crooked ; that the books of the Corporation are such that they wiil not bear honest open daylight inspection ; that, m short, ihe very ' exhibition of those books "m a court of Justice would throw discredit on the Town Hall officials. This we have only heard. It may be true, or it may be a pack of lies, but when we have been toVl, on very good authority that Peddar is to go scot free, that he is not to be given an opportunity of clearing himself before a jury, it looks very much as if tbere is need, great ue;l, for some investigation, Mayor ilislop's aversion to prosecution, the refundinp; of stolen money, notwithstanding. ■ :■■ „ As "Truth" said m its previous article, Peddar's peculations seem to consist m having: pocketed the fees that were paid by various individuals for the use of the two halls. Who have, paid and who have not paid for the use of those halls, it seems impossible to say. Perhaps Peddar alone can tell, but apparently he won't. How many times Blanche Arral's manager paid for the use of ithe Town Hall is a conun- . drum. We do not know who ci\n answer the 'question, and, therefore, the best possible thing to suggest is a special investigation. ..lift there should! be no record of v/lio paid rent for the use of the Town Hall is a curious circumstance, and that the Mayor is averse to a prosecution m such circumstance is more than can be understood. If Peddar is noii to be prosecuted aH "Truth" can say m conclusion is that he is A SINGULARLY LUCKY INDIVIDUAL. He ought to thank his lucky stars, that he is not a dishonest laborer, a common t'hievdng clerk, or a raguish tram conductor. Were he one or oth-. er of these his chances o-f refunding what he is alleged to have stolen would be very small- He would soon be a gaol-bird, his wife and' family would have little consideration. It , might be his wife and family', that - is standing between him and gaol - now, but this paper doubts it. That City Councillors should, by their connivance, assist to cover up a crime is something indeed for citizens to ponder over. It only shows what can possibly happen ' m the best municipally governed towns, but Councillors can depend on it .that the ratepayers will be -reminded of Peddar and! his peccadilloes at the proper moment. This paper 'does not want to hound any man to gaol, andi it is not hounding Peddar to gaol, what it wants is HONEST MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT. It does not want a crime compounded by another crime- If a tram conductor, for stealing 10s, is dra.«*s*l i from Auckland to answer te-it charge, if hard-working carters; are prosecuted for "rcmovin.se," a po'ite word for stealing, a few cart-loads of s a nd, all that we can say is that no distinction should be drawn between thieves.