SPURIOUS JEWELLERY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 129, 1 June 1901, Page 5 (Supplement)

SPURIOUS JEWELLERY.

PARIS PAWNBROKIXG SWINDLE.

The Mcflt de Pietc, In Paris, the French Government pawning establishment, and a number of Paris jewellers have been victimised ori n large scale by a gang working in London and Paris. The pawning business In France, as in many other Contlmntal countries, is a Government monopoly —the object of this law. enacted under Napoleon the First, being not so much to earn

revenue as to preveut usury. Yet usury flourishes all the same, only the pawn-tick-ets become the money-lenders' pledge. The Mont de Piete lacks enterprise, and has sr.eh a horror of trade risks that its busilie&t' efficiency is seriously impaired. It dof-s not lend usually more than 15 or 20 per cent, of the sum a pledge is likely to fvii'b fit an auction, nnd, the tickets being transferable, the money-lenders are always willing to advance money on them, and often k'lid a larger sum than the Mont de Pieto does oh the original pledge. The manager of the Mont de Piete discovered a few months ngo that a number of pawn tickets were in circulation, the values of which lifcd been multiplied tenfold by the addition of a nought to the sum in figures. The po-lic-o tail he course of their Investigations made an interesting nnd unexpected discoVery, they noticed that in the past few Months the different branches of the Mont fie Pete in Pa,ris had received an unusually large quantity of foreign-made jewellery, the borrowers being in every case Jewellers. Small jewellers in Paris often raise money when in temporary difficulties by means of the Mont de Piete. But that so many should come all about the same tltnc was suspicious, and that every one of the borrowers should have sold his tickets to money-lenders was still worse. The suspicious jewellery, which was hull-marked, was assayed, and found to be all right. The police authorities then broke one of the artides—a bracelet—nnd found that it was loaded with a bnso alloy. Kings, which by their weight were estimated at 35/, were found to contain not more than 14/ worth of gold. Large quantities of this base jewellery were deposited as security for loitna af the Mont de Pinlo. nnd it is certain that large quantities have been palmed off on the trade. The goods were made in London wholesale, being sent to confederates In Pnrl«. who were careful to take out goldsmiths' llci.mi.ws and to have every article, liali-marked. The police captured 20 members of the gang.