OFFICIAL CORRUPTION IN FRANCE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 368, 15 May 1889, Page 3

OFFICIAL CORRUPTION IN FRANCE.

TifE Pa,vis / correspondent of the '* Daily (Jhropicle ' says : — 'A gVave Scandal ha,? been inearthed at the municipal labor,atqry attached to the Prefecture of Police. The' objoct of the laboratory was to detect, tho f numerous adulj^rations of wine, milk,' 5 butter, apices, and other articles in general >,uso. Id now. appears thab M (Jirard, the director ot this excellent institution, which is supported by the ratepayers, hag been guilty of the grossest corruption. He has. nob only accepted sums of money," from £80 to £700, frftm tradesmen aud manufacturet's' accused foj adulterating their goods^buVbaa^arue'd'on a sv«tem of extorting doiu:euivi(fiy 3 threats of exposure. TheJsfeT scan dais only .go to prove what is generally; felt about the monstrous speculation which "'i'sf Hbe 1 " rule in nearly every public dep"aststf>Gnt in France, 1 To take only - one; instance — it 'is impossible, to obtain:the authorisation to found a club in Paris without spending nearly .CI^OOO in ' tip^ 'to the right people The same remark applies'to oveVy concession in- which the suppoK ot certain^ functionaries is re•quired. No bettev specimen, however, can be found than thisM. Girard; w lip is openly accused of allowing the pooplo of Paris to bes-lo^ly poisoned because the poisoneis make it worth his while.'