TWO MILLIONAIRES.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 February 1930, Page 7

TWO MILLIONAIRES.

VISITORS TO AUSTRALIA

SYDNEY, February 6

Two interesting aged millionaires reached Australia- this week, and both in Piers in.erviews, gave some entertaining iiddrmauon. According to the multi-millionaire, Alfred Gardiner, 80 years old, who owns six miles of Chicago streets and has a private fortune of 14,L00 O.X) dollars, big cities in the United States are still honeycombed with fraud.

“if one has a tax assessment of :KKX) dollars,” he said, “one will be approached by a person. who will claim to be able to get the tax permanently reduced. He will take one to the City Hall and point out alterations being made, quite openly, in (lie property hooks of the city.

“Busiiuvs life in the -big. cities is absolutely honeycombed with fraud,” he continued, “and one result of crooked municipal business was that 12.0 0 school-teachers in one city lost sal .ries which were months behind wli n it W' s discovered the city was bankrupt. “This kind of tiling, together with an orgy of bootlegging and shooting, has so roused the decent element in American life that in Chicago, at least, there was a big cleanup proceeding when I left. The regime of crookedness was unpa rale 11 ed in the city’s history.

“Big Bill Thompson, ex-Mayov of Chicago, is a great big bluff,” he said.

An altogether different viewpoint actuated Mr C. L. Thomson, who reached Sydney on his tenth trip round the world. He has turned 70, bat yet claims to be an expert dancer and tennis player, and carrries numerous trophies in bis voluminous luggage to prove Ids contention. Thirtv-fivc years ago Air Thomson returned to his native iSootland irom the AYest Indies, where he had made his fortune, and the fir t communication lip received from anyone on his native heath was a demand from the Imrmie Tax Coinm ; •' This start-

ed him.on. his world he rests now just where the .soirit .moves him. Tu effect.' 'ho .lf<^s!;ti'ii»velling to .' evade, the Income: yl|k 'Commissioner.