There is a misleading air of informality about the Judicial
Inquiry into Alleged Irregularities in Government Departments (to give the full title to what some papers more tersely call " the Probe "). Since this is not a court of law, neither the members of the tribunal nor the numerous barristers wear wigs or gowns ; their exchange of question and answer with witnesses is quiet—sometimes too quiet ftr Press and public to hear—and when the sessions are over, witnesses, lawyers, journalists and sightseers all stream out to lunch or tea together. One point which very quickly emerged is that the Inquiry will go on for several weeks ; so far it has only tackled what seems to be the least complicated of the eight charges, that dealing with the proposed import of amusement machines. It would, of course, be improper to comment on the evidence which .has so far been given, but perhaps a word of sympathy might legitimately go to the witness who was stung into turning on his cross-examiner with the retort which has hovered on so many witnesses' lips: "Now I want to ask you a question." It was no use ; the question
remained unasked. * * *
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