CLEANING UP SPAIN.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15895, 21 January 1924, Page 5

CLEANING UP SPAIN.

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RIVERA'S GREAT SERVICES. " GOLCONDA OP GRAFT." DEADHEADS ON THE PAY ROLL. * l Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) Received January 21, 11.30 a.m. LONDON, January 20.« Mr Ward Price, the special correspondent of the Daily Mail, who is investigating the results of General De Rivera's dictatorship in Spain, was granted an interview with King Alfonso, who related that he had opposed previous attempts at a revolution, as he had held such action would be beneficial only when a change was acceptable to the people. He was not acquainted with General De Rivera's intentions, and he spent-a night at the .telephone finding out how the country would receive the attempt. Ho approved of it only when it was clear that the nation welcomed an endeavour to reform the administration, in which grave political abuses had grown up, and also the persecution of their opponents by the party in power. ■ Mr Ward Price, describing the conditions prior to the revolution, said the country was a golconda of graft. Ministers added the names of their friends to the list of deadheads'. One Prime Minister's cO'Ok was a salaried education official; a stateman's flve-vear-old daughter was rated as a tvpiste, and drew a salary, and a journalist appeared in the War Office accounts as two mules, whose fodder allowances he drew monthly.