Srn,—By way of showing how the money of the taxpayers
is thrown away, I send you a circular that I recently received from a firm of wine merchants of foreign name trading in • London. They offer several thousands of cases of "Finest old Bottled Ports shipped by H.M. Government • for * tlie Officers and Invalids in. South Africa. These wines were warehoused at the Government stores at the Cape, ' and
returned to England for sale Purchased by us at ail absurdly low price, and at what we consider about a third of their value." . "Sold only in original Bin Cases each branded and directed Officer in Charge of Supplies; Army Service Corps, Cape Town." Now, Sir, I de not complain of this firm, or any firm, having bought a saleable article at one- third of its value, or of having begged it for almost nothing at all, and still less do I blame them for offering the wine for sale at a low figure ; but what can we taxpayers think of those in authority who allowed this shameful sale, instead of taking the wine into store for hospital use in the various military hospitals where it is regularly used ? On a rough calculation, I believe that about E10,435 has been lost to the country by this transaction.—I enclose my card in token of bona-fides, and am, Sir, Sce., INDIGNANT.'
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