A SOUTH AFRICAN MUDDLE.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 13016, 2 July 1906, Page 7

A SOUTH AFRICAN MUDDLE.

ARMY'S "SHOCKING BAD BARGAINS." "How did you come to make such a shocking bad bargain!" At one of the sittings of the Commjs•sioners appointed to inquire into the way in which stores were dealt with in South Africa at the close.of the war, Mr Justice FarweH, the president, put this question to ao Army official. Major Long, who was an assistantdirector of supplies in South Africa in 1902, •was the witness. The president called his attention to a transaction in which Messrs Wilson and Worthington purchased from*the Army two million pounds of oats in October, 1902, at 4s 6d per 1001b—the oats' being Ha good condition. They had it in evidence that even damaged oats were at .that time selling at 6s per 1001b. "It is generally -undenbtood that "they were not in good condition," replied Major ~Long. "I cannot say whether they had been condemned or not." ■ n "Not only were they not? condemned, observed the president, "but they sold 15,000 bags at.9s 3d, as much again as thev gave; and 2000 were sold as damaged at 6s. So they made £4OOO profit out of the deal in two weeks. That is thenown evidence. How did you come to make such a shocking bad bargain ?" " Because we., could not get any ottier offer," eaid the witness. - • .-■-.•: "-i "Wflßon and Worthington could, pointed out the'president. ■ '■"-*: :Stt is Extremely hard for a Government Department to get a proper market offer to South Africa," negotiation was concluded,, he believed, by telephone. ... "'■"•'';- ■-'^-.■, /1 -s L ■■-jll. "Th>t" remarked the president, ■:? *» ?» maatisiactory way" of -conducting 7*™*? Tatae* transaction, by Which Messrs WUsoc and Wcrth&gton were allowed to make a rrofit of £4OOO in a fortnight.! P Sir F. Mowatt next took up the ques- .* it not vour duty, before you en*«ed aito a contract, to the Sees wfiich ruled at the time! - It Sold be very difficult for the Sector of supplies tofsay what would be tb S Ywlav vou had no accurate knowledge of the price of oats on JW date. How did you fix the 4s *1! "That was, what was offered me. "But you did not conduct your deal on the price offered by the c«tract«iit--«No I must have asked Captain Morgan, %> Commission .proceeded ; to examine Major as to a'sale of d-*"*""* K aSSf bags at is 6d per »»* « £L named Saunders »****■» wasm <he emplov of the department at Eg Farm. -Witness said he inspected this chaff 'more by accident than anything else," and from what he saw- he came to the conclusion that it" was sweepings. Reminded of replies which he gave to Butler on- the subject, Major Long laughingly exclaimed, "The Butler Comnus»on rather rattled one. T bad no time t<| consider the question k then, and they all asked questions, at once." t ~ - " He hesitated at first to'accept the tenders of-SaunderSi because the latter was- in the Service; h?tr as .launders was leaving ■•md v going *ino, business, v;he- accepted .the "' "',. -", ;/ The president said the records showed: '-"that at that time good Australian* chaff "bad-come up from the,coast, and should have been amongst that sold. ,' "Has it not struck you," he observed to Major Long, "that a device -was sprung "upon you and that you were shown only-the inferior stuff?" - . "It might have been, soj sir," admitted ' the major, "j - "Then some interested person gate you the sweepings to look at with the view; to the purchase of the whole 3ot??. queried Sir F. Mowatt. '-*■ ; , >■ "I do not think I should put it in that way," sakt the witness. yj£«-■•■-' '" . "Of coarse, to sell at Is 6d'was'absurd,' as the cost of rail of that coming up from the coast would be Is lOd," said the president. , "I must say,* added witness ' later, "that I am extremely muddled about this chaff.", ■" ' .

"T cannot say; ms very much in elucidating the matter," said 'the' president: . ' r-.. "It is not I can' assure -you," &* •*¥^?*-v ; --;. : "/•" ■': r --H '^