ITALY’S NEW SECT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16423, 6 May 1924, Page 7

ITALY’S NEW SECT.

PROPHET OF “HALLESISM.”

PROMISES TO EVERYBODY

ROME.—A would-be humanitarian, Signor Agostino Trucco, has been denounced by a Roman police oilicial for alleged illegal iinaucial speculation udiich, if Ihe charges arc well founded, in many respects recalls the exploits of Lcmoine and La Pochette in Paris 10 or 12 years ago. Signor Trucco is the founder of “Hallesism,” a name intended to designate the doctrinal theory of a new sect of pacifists and world reformers. He collected funds al lover Italy and secured adherents in many towns with his lurid promises. Among those misled by his doctrines are to be found some members of the Roman aristocracy, including Prince Colonna. The “Hallesists” were going to renovate the world on the following plan:—(1) Immediate intensification of production and world-traffic; (2) disappearanc.fi of unemployment; (3) reconstruction of State Budgets on a basis of fabulous prosperity; (4) gradual suppression of all taxes on articles of consumption; (5) suppression of Customs barriers and an automatic improvement in the conditions of every class and profession and universal consolidation of ponce; (6) distribution among the founders and propagators of the doctrine of the numerous profits and advantages of tiie society. Propaganda sheets with glowing articles on benefits of the now theory were published and widely distributed. The fund required by the founder to make the institution world-w'ide was placed at 10,000,0001’. gold, of which he had already collected six millions in Italian paper lire. The founder was exceedingly generous in his pledges. All public benevolent institutions in Italy were to derive immense advantages. and the hospitals of Milan were already promised a donation of 100,000,000 lire. The enterprise of Signor Trucco began to attract attention some months ago, and was denounced in the press as suspicious, especially when the question was raised as to what the founder of “Hallesism” had done with Ihe funds he had already collected, and the n,nine of an ex-bankrupt appeared on the list of contributors for a sum of 1,000,000 lire. Trucco fought duels and continued promising millions to all sorts of institutions, when the police stepped in and demanded an explanation. His first reply has been that all the funds so far collected were invested in profitable shares in Italian companies.