, 1876-04-23
A FRENCH RING.


be some consolation for us to be assured that
We are not the only people afflicted with
rings. Even Paris, which swarms with lu-
spcctors end detectives, has these parasites
upon its municipal institutions, IS is shown
by q case now pending in the French courts.
The evidence in this case establishes the fact
of the existence Of q. ring of over fifty men
in the service of the city, engaged in
the Halles, or Central Market Of the
city, who hnve conspircd to defraud
the municipality Of the octroi duties. The
consprators arc divided into three classes
those who assess the tax, the clerks OF the
market, and the dealers in poultry who con-
spired with them. The Assessors, who are
under the Prefecture of the Seine, are re-
quirsd to receive tho statements Of country
men who bring in the poultry, examine it,
and then assess the tux, and it was found
that they had been engaged in taking the
declarations without verifying them, es was
done in some OF our whisky cases,-the deal
ers paying them with gifts and presents.
The 4merican Register gives the following
account of the organization Of this branch Of
the market, service which is requisite to
proper understanding Of the conspiracy:
In 1891 the market for the wholesale trade IN poultry
and game established upon the Quai des 6rands-
Augustine, then known the Quai de la Vaiiee,
whence the namo Of LII Vaee Market. In 1866, after
the completion Of the Haucs. the sale Of poultry was
transferred theze Pavilion No. 4. The old rules and
organization were there maintained Tho regulations
forming the bass Of those still in force made
the 18th OF March, 1901 % Ventose, An XII, in tho
language Of the time, and issued by the Prefect
of Police approved by the Minister Of the Interior
Under these regulations the ocro tax was not put On
at the gate OF entry but in the marke and In order
guard against loss, regular service was organized
It consists Of eight pe1ceptors Of the duties and eight
selling clerks appointed BY tho Prefect OF Police
Formerly both were required to give bonds when TAX
ing these posts, Uut the clerks exempt from
this demand Before tho latter begin their sses It s
tho duty Of perceors to examine the stock to
1t weighed there be any doubt about the declars
tions and to the tax demanded by the city with
additional percentage for the support OF this ser
vice. At the l. vllee Market ad rasor<m duty
VILE always imposed The selling clerks turn the
enra gum received by them during the aales to the
cashier Of tho poultry dirizion Of the market.
and, after the tax and commissions hayo been
deducted, the rest is paid over to tho vendor.
From this it is apparent that the Assessors
and clerks must be in collugion with the
seller in order to share the profits and per-
petuate the fraud, and that these three
classes make very complete ring. Their
operations were 80 successful in 1875 that
they sold within giveu time $65, 800 worth
of poultry, while the declared sum YVES only
$4,000, leaving difference Of over $25, 900
upon which the octroi duties had not been
paid- This is only one fraud occurring in
given time, and perpetrated by few dealers
The corruption runs back several years, and
the investigation bids fair to open up
new leads of corruption in other direc-
tons It is the opinion of the
american Register that the French have
fraud upon their hands which will quite
equal our own in crooked whisky, and that
the Partisan ring is qnite as large and power
full as any of those which have been exposed
as American We have no special reason to
congratulate the Parisians except from the
fact that misery loves company, and from our
own pleasure in the conviction that rings are
not native and to the manner born" It has
been quite prevalent opinion that rings for
defrauding the revenue were peculiarly Amer
ican institutions. It IS cheering to note,
however, that, while our rings may be moro
audacious and colossal in proportion, We
have not q monopoly Of them.