Sir GEORGE MAY, K.B.E., further examined. Mr. E. H. CHERRY, late Secretary to the Board of Management, Navy and Army Canteen Board, sworn and examined. Mr. WILLIAM KERR, Assistant Manager, Bank of Montreal, sworn anά examined. Major ARTHUR BOYD, Sworn and further examined. Mr. GEORGE BLAKE, sworn and further examined. Mr. E. H. CHERRY, further examined. [Adjourned till Wednesday, 25th July, at 11 o'clock. Draft Report, proposed by the Chairman, brought up and read the first time. Question, that the Draft Report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph, put and agreed to. Paragraphs I.-VIII. agreed to. Question, that this Report be the Report of the Committee to the House, put, and agreed to. Ordered, to Report, together with Minutes of Evidence and Appendices. Mr. J. W. Vincent, of Messrs. Sissons, Bersey & Co. - Thursday, 7th June, 1923. Sir William Plender, G.B.E., of Messrs. Deloite, Plender & Co. Mr. C. S. Fisher, of Messrs. Peacock, Fisher & Co., late 83 Mr. A. Rae Smith, of Messrs. Deloite, Plender & Co. 83 Sir George May, K.B E., late Deputy Quartermaster-General (Canteens), War Office Sir Alexander W. Prince, K.B.E., late Controller, Expeditionary Force Canteens Colonel F. Benson, late Deputy Controller, Expeditionary Tuesday, 19th June, 1923. 121 122 125 142 142 Mr. P. B. Durnford, late Staff Manager, N.A.C.B. 149 Major H. E. Van den Bergh, late Officer i/e Supplies, N.A.C B. 162 167 Thursday, 21st June, 1923. Major H. E. Van den Bergh 171 Sir Francis Towle, c B.E., late Controller, Navy and Army 190 Tuesday, 26th June, 1923. Major-General S. S. Long, C.B., late Director of Supplies, 213 Major A. Boyd, late General Secretary, Navy and Army Mr. E. H. Cherry, late Secretary to the Board of Management, Navy and Army Canteen Board 248 42161 d Thursday, 5th July, 1923.-continued. Mr. W. Kerr, Assistant Manager, Bank of Montreal - PAGE. 254 256 258 272 278 VISCOUNT WOLMER (a Member of the House) sworn; and examined. Chairman. 1. You made two speeches in the House of Commons, one on the 22nd March, and one on the 21st July, 1922. I have read the one on the 22nd March, and it seems to me to deal with the question as to whether or not there should be State trading; that is outside the scope of the reference of this Committee, and therefore we cannot deal with it. Will you deal with the speech which you made on the 21st July? The two are mixed up a little, but I will endeavour to confine myself, according to your ruling, Sir. I should like to say that I am speaking here entirely in my private capacity and not as a Member of the Government. The charge that I made on July 21st is summarised in column 2458 of Hansard, and I will read the extract; I said: "May I explain the charge to my Right Honourable friend if he does not understand it. My charge is this: Owing to the policy which the Government has followed of continuing on a peace footing the war organisation and using the profits of the war organisation for that purpose, a sum nearer four million pounds than two and a half million pounds has been taken from what would otherwise have been available for the Ex-service men." That is my charge -that the Government of the day had no right to continue the Expeditionary Force Canteens organisation on a peace footing, and use the profits of the Expeditionary Force Canteens for that purpose. As a result a Committee was promised to enquire into the circumstances in which the Navy and Army Canteen Board took over the assets and liabilities of the Expeditionary Force Canteens. That raises the whole question of the legitimacy of the late Government's policy of converting the war organisation into a permanent peace organisation with Expeditionary Force Canteens' money. That is the first part of my charge, and I hope the Committee will investigate the circumstances in which the Navy and Army Canteen Board took over the assets and liabilities of the Expeditionary Force Canteens. The second part of the Committee's duty is to enquire into the conduct, administration, trading accounts and balance sheets of the Navy and Army Canteen Board since taking over from the Expeditionary Force Canteens. That raises three questions, in my humble submission; first, the legitimacy of the scope of trading of the Navy and Army Canteen Board-that is an exceedingly important point. 42161 A |