Commission to Investigate Charges of Corruption and Fraud in Relation to Contracts for Construction of Drill Sheds in the Province of Ontario (Canada) : The Commission to Investigate Charges of Corruption and Fraud in Relation to Contracts for Construction of Drill Sheds in the Province of Ontario was established under Order in Council P.C. 55, 9 January 1915, under Part I of the Inquiries Act (R.S.C., c.104, 1906) and on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The Commission was mandated to inquire into and report upon charges of corruption and fraud in relation to contracts for the building of certain Drill Halls in the Province of Ontario, which charges have been made by Messrs. Hanson and Mumms of Meaford, Ontario. The Commissioner was Robert Abercrombie Pringle.
In 1915 an inquiry was established as a result of charges made to the federal government by Messrs. Hanson and Mumms, of Meaford, Ontario, against W.A. Tom of Collingwood, concerning contracts that W.A. Tom and W.A. Tom Construction Company secured for the construction of several drill halls in the Province of Ontario. The specific charges were as follows: "There are now being erected a number of Drill Halls through the country and W.A. Tom, a livery stable keeper of Collingwood, has secured his share of the contracts. He has built or is building drill halls at Meaford, Markdale, Orono, Blackstock, Brampton, Listowel, Barry, and I think has secured others. He has formed a company called the W.A. Tom Construction Company to handle this kind of Government work and we have reason to believe that the said Company is formed of men in the pay of the Government. At any rate the contractors, once the contracts are secured, can do as they like. If the inspectors should be a little strict on the start, they pay them to oversee part of the work, such as bricklaying or carpenter work. So once in their pay they dare not open their mouths. There is considerable graft somewhere - for instance where reinforcing of concrete called for expanding metal a rusty old wire fence was thrown in. On another where 8 in. square timbers for purlines was specified 3.2 in. planks nailed together sufficed. Where weeping tile and tar was to be used none was used at all. The three coats of paint called for went on in two and none of the furnaces would come up to the specifications. There should be a strict investigation into the whole of this work and these parasites and grafters put down for good and the government inspectors that pass such graft should be made to answer for it. If an investigation was made we could prove that the above is true" (Order in Council P.C. 55, 9 January 1915). RG33-8 General Inventory
