War Charity Frauds.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 273, 28 April 1915, Page 5

War Charity Frauds.

ASTOUNDING RESULTS. UNSCRUPULOUS SOCIETIES. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Received April 27, 8 p.m. Paris, April 27. Astounding results have followed the investigations of war charities. Out of 1-17 societies in the Department of Seine seventy-six were fraudulent, whereof thirty-five have been founded by shady financiers, most of whom have served terms of imprisonment. One society was installed in a German house and controlled by a secretary who had eleven times been imprisoned.

There are several oases of Austrians and Germans who had escaped the concentration camps acting as presidents with fajse titles. Two women who were penniless before the war are making C4O per day. Another is earning .£BO daily by means of a spurious agency which purports to trace missing soldiers. The societies have sold goods at exorbitant prices, which the customers bought believing the profits were to be devoted to charities. Some employed agents to collect subscriptions from house to house. Several of these agents received commissions averaging 120s daily. A tailor going to the front gave his stock of clothing to charitable purposes. The tailor met the founder of the society wearing one of the gift suits.