POPLAR EXPOSURES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13926, 7 December 1908, Page 5

POPLAR EXPOSURES.

FRAUDULENT GUARDIANS. SEVEN MEN SENT TO GAOL. By Telegraph.— Association.—(3opy right.. (Received December 6, 4.20 p.m.) ■ ' • London, December .5... - The seven Poplar Guardians and ex-Guardians who were charged at the Thames -PoKce Court with con- v spiracy to defraud the Board of Managers of the Poplar arid . Stepney Sick Asylum district,oh. Sept. 1 27, and were remanded on bail, have; been sentenced at the Old Bailey. - Peacock and Albert' Smith received 12 . months' .imprisonment. ■..■■ each; Poole, Joseph Smith, and Finoon nine months' imprisonment each, and Bellanam and Cordery six and three months respectively. It was stated at the trial that the frauds were conducted by allowing James Calcutt, : a builder, to effect repairs to the Blackwall branch, of the asylum at his own unchecked prices. Calcutt is the contractor who was sentenced to six months' imprisonment in connection with the Mile End frauds. Nine Poor Law Guardians and ex-Guard- , ians of Mile End are now undergoing terms of imprisonment ranging from two 1 years to six months. As long ago as 1906 Mr. Davy, chief inspector of the Local Government Board, reported in strong terms on the administration of the Poplar Guardians.'; He condemned the Labour policy of- the guardians, while pointing out that there was no charge against the personal integrity of the Labour leadens, Messrs. Crooks and ; Lansbury. The chief inspector also reported:—"The practice of the; guardians drinking with their officers is open to much ; objection. The evidence a® to -contracts leaves little doubt that certain contractors ; were assisted in their tenders by someone from : inside. It might be worth an em- :■■':■; ?loyer*s while to pay the heavy rates in ■' 'oplar,- because a reserve *s of cheap : and » convenient: labour was maintained - out of those rates upon which he <" could v draw < when he pleased. : Out-relief noli only, l perpetuates the system of casual labour, but f ; tends to keep wages down. 'JThe guardians' ..;•; policy has never been concealed. ,It. is con- i tended that the if electors endorsed that J policy, but in 1904 there were, contests-in onlv six wards out of 14, and in these only '•■■.. , : ; 5523 voted out of 13,573." ,