Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-03-10
Caused at Paris by Mi
lion Dollar Shortage.
tiqAdaia Of cbuleh fEapefGas
Admits Biz Theft,
l. laez 4 Mso Accused Of Other
0fiisjai Irregularities.

| Paris, 44Alarch 9.14Fhe arrest of NJ.
| Duez following his confession that he
had misappropriated something like 81
100000 of the funds derived from the
sale of church property for which he
was the liquidator, has created a great
sensation. limitations are freely made
that other iguidators in, the employ
of the government are, similarly in
/ volved.
The Republican press find no excuse
for the disgraceG official and lays much
of the responsibility for the condition
of affairs upon the immense amount Of
work assigned to a single liquidator.
The papers praise the government for
it's courage in bolding exposing the
scandal on the eve of the general cleo
tons when it is sure to become a pow
erful weapon in the hands of it's Cath
Ole adversaries who for months have
been organizing u genuine political
campaign.
| The Catholic and Royalist opposition
press generally manifest high glee over
the exposure, which they declare con-
firms the suspicious long entertained,
that the property of the churches. mon
asteries and converts, appropriated by
the state, instead of furnishing $780,
000, 900 for old age pensions and other
social reforms as the proletariat had
been taught to believe at the time that
separation of church and state was
voted. had disappeared into the pockets
of thieving politicians.
The Chamber of Deputies is not III
session 1T present, but interpretations
are expected in the Senate The gov
eminent while admitting that the task
set for the liquidators was too large.
| in one case a single liquidator having
| charge of the disposal of the property
| of "a congregations, claims that When
| the report of irregularities was hrSt
| bruited two years ago. it did us 1uli
| duty by relieving some of the llqulda-
| tors Of u part Of their work. calling Tor
their accounts and appointing an IN
vestigating commission of which form
| or Premier Combes was president, be-
sides initiating the legal Investigations
which resulted in the arrest OF Duez.
Ducz was what is known as an of
fetal receiver which is 4 sort of
| branch Of the magistracy. In addition
| to mis- shortage to the Congregation ac-
counts. the liuuidator admits that he
|
| or affairs corfided to his charge. He
| had the management of the lqnldatlon
| for IS congregations, involving over
100 900 documents and accounts TheSe
are in such confusion that 1t IS impos
sible to determine accurately the total
of his dcfalcatO n. which may @reatiy
exceed the S1,O00,00G originally cstimat-
cd Besides the admitted shortage
Duez is charged with having pocketed
rake-offs for aiding GenealpSist ."
ner cent. or what was due them IN con
sjdcration of his Services i'll the mat
ter. 10
If i. believed that the scandal VIII
nrove to have had wide ramlftca'ioiiS.
The E,clair cites other evidences vi
crooked practice in which it Is alleged
that DueZ or his agents corfup1lE par-
Gained for a commission on thc
LAWYERS fees. which in some cases; II
is claimed, are excessive, NJ. Dciasal'e
and M. Brunei are the other two prlh-
cipal liuuidators and NJ. Sarrautc, NJ
Lcmery. Albert Clemenceau and NJ
Millerand. now minister of public
works. posts and telcgraphs. are men
toned by the I1clair as among the at
torneys Who appeared before the courts
in cases conducted by DucZ
The cabinet at q meeting today de-
cided to detail auditors from the MINI
istry of finance to inspect all the &C
counts and also to place an inspector
from the ministry at the disposition Of
the court which is Investigating Duez.
The papers submitted to. the Senate
commission by NJ, Combc& today show
that Duez's defalcution ;ipproxinateS
$4,000, 900. The commission adopted
| resolutions providing for al investi-
CATION of the circumstances and in
flucnccS surrounding. The department.
and retention of Ducz and inviting tho
government to have all Of the accounts
of the liquidators audited by the min
istry of finance.