MUNITIONS ENQUIRY.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17170, 13 June 1921, Page 6

MUNITIONS ENQUIRY.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE (By Cable—Press Association—Coprrfflft) \ (Australian and N.Z. Cable Aato&iitt.) $ LONDON, June 10. i The Munitions Enquiry Committee '| report states that Mr E. H. Sutton, | without instructions from his superior), % made a hasty and foolish remark about g losing important papers, which he hh, *I mediately withdrew. Mr Sutton's re» ,f mark was not made with any improper -| motive, his only desire being to hastes j§ the winding up of the Department's.;! work. Captain Loseby's allegations, ,1 though made in good faith, had not J been sustained. _l [lt was charged that certain officials/, ' in the Department, including a H paid official, ordered the destruction of j documents relating to contracts, in Of-'I der to prevent an auditor's inspection. l J The statement had been made that fit | one instance £IB,OOO was paid to a COB-'i tractor, but the only voucher thatcooM Jf be found was one for £6OOO. Captefcj§ Loseby, M.C., M.P., who oritiuUi tho charges, at the enquiry ctwiml witnesses who were formerly •♦JsJJnsjnV'l ants in the Ministry , of. Munition*. I They gave evidence that E. H. Sutton, Jl who occupied an important the Department, instructed a mefittnfji of thirty members of the staff to defjl troy documents called working P*P*%iffl for'the purpose of preventing the a]£raj| officials from "nosing'' too deeply ttwil tho accounts. The witnesses said tn*K| thought that no papers were destroreuJ| as the staff feared that tho cotte*|| quences would be serious to themserWiS During the cross-examination coub|h|| suggested that the instructions w*i*o§§ really a jocular remark- during a dtk*jj| cussion as to the necessity of cxpedttV|| ing the liquidation of the Ministtj's'i accounts, and that the witnesses MW'I actuated by resentment over their sequent discharge, owing to the. H*'a trenchment of the Department.! 'H ===== Vk