On Thursday evening the Royal Commission appointed to report on
the allegations made by Sir William Butler's Com- mission on the disposal of war stores in South Africa pub- lished their Report. The Commission, it will be remembered, consisted of Sir George Goldie, Sir George White, Sir Francis Mowatt, and Mr. S. H. Morley, with Lord Justice Farwell as chairman. We have dealt at length with the Report else- where, but may note here that the Commission find that the Pretmia Supplies Office, by the lack of business qualities in its direction, has caused to the British taxpayer a preventable loss of between three-quarters of a million and one and a half millions. The root of the evil was the system of local contracts, which involved the "dual system,"—that is, selling surplus stores to a contractor, and buying them back from him at an increased price. The Commission report, however, that while the evidence shows extreme stupidity and carelessness, there is no proof of any corruption among the higher officials concerned. The responsibility of the War Office and the General Officer Commanding in South Africa is dealt with, and a singularly lucid and powerful
Report concludes with a warm tribute to the industry and the "most acute intelligence" of the secretary, Mr. H. T. Baker. Few Royal Commissions have had to deal with a larger or more intricate task.
