וזיי
PUBLIC
RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
28305
GENTLEMEN,
198
No. 265.
COLONIAL OFFICE to CROWN AGENTS
[Anserered by No. 268.]
*
Downing Street, 13 August, 1908. WITH reference to your letter of the 30th April last, I am directed by the Earl of Crewe to transmit to you the accompanying copies of confidential corres- pondencet with the Governor of the Straits Settlements with regard to the arrange- ments for making remittances to and from London on account of the Governments of the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States.
2
The Secretary of State would be glad to receive any observations that you may have to offer on these papers.
I am, &c.,
30459
No. 266.
H. BERTRAM COX.
CROWN AGENTS to COLONIAL OFFICE
(Received August 21, 1908.)
SIR,
Whitehall Gardens, London, S.W., 20 August, 1908. IN continuation of our letter of the 16th of July, I have the honour to enclose, for the information of the Secretary of State, a copy of a letter which we have addressed to the Government of the Straits Settlements with regard to the manner in which money order accounts are adjusted between the Governments of the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States and the Government of Ceylon.
I have, &c.,
Enclosure in No. 266.
E. E. BLAKE.
CROWN AGENTS to COLONIAL SECRETARY, Straits Settlements. (No. 253 A. Straits.) SIR,
Whitehall Gardens, S.W., 18 August, 1908.
AMONG the remittances which we receive from time to time from the Govern- ment of Ceylon are bank bills from the Governments of the Straits and of the Federated Malay States and they are described as on money order account.
2. It appears to us that so long as the Government of the Straits Settlements has funds in our hands, as it has at the present time, a saving in exchange, the turn on which at present goes to the bankers, could be effected by such remittances to the Government of Ceylon being made by a letter to us requesting us to transfer the amount to the credit of our account with the Government of Ceylon.
3. If our account here was being kept in funds by remittances from Singapore, there would be nothing to be gained by an alteration of the existing arrangement, but in present circumstances we have thought it worth while making the suggestion for the Governor's consideration.
I have, &c.,
31482
SIR,
No. 267.
CROWN AGENTS to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received August 28, 1908.)
E. E. BLAKE.
Whitehall Gardens, London, S.W., 27 August, 1908. IN continuation of our letters of the 16th July and 20th instant,§ I have the
‡ No. 261.
No. 250.
↑ Nos. 256 and 262.
Nos. 261 and 266.
199
honour to enclose, for the information of the Secretary of State, a copy of a further letter which we have addressed to the Government of the Straits Settlements on the subject of the remittance of funds between this country and Singapore.
(265 A. Straits.)
SIR,
Enclosure in No. 267.
I have, &c.,
E. E. BLAKE.
Whitehall Gardens, London, 27 August, 1908. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your telegram of the 16th July as follows:-
"Referring to your letter of 15th May, your views accepted. Federated Malay States can meet local requirements of contractors to £30,000 per month."
J
2. On its receipt we communicated with Messrs. Aird and Messrs. Jackson, and last week we were approached by Messrs. Aird with a request for a remittance to their representative in Singapore of £5,000. This we offered to make for them at 2s. 3, which was the mean between the selling rate of 2s. 37d. and the buying rate of 2s. 4 d.
3. We were much surprised therefore when Messrs. Aird informed us that they had ascertained that they could make the remittance through the Hong Kong
and Shanghai Bank at 2s. 31d. The matter consequently fell through.
4.
We have, however, since been informed by Messrs. Aird that when they actually made their remittance the bank stated that the rate of 2s. 34d. was given by a misunderstanding and the proper rate was 2s. 47d., which rate, as they had made the remittance before this statement was made, they had to pay.
Although the business fell through on this occasion it seems probable that the next time Messrs. Aird require to make a remittance they will not make the mistake of going to a bank for it.
The Honourable
The Colonial Secretary.
&c., &c., &c.,
Straits Settlements.
32026
SIR,
No. 268.
I have, &c.,
É. E., BLAKE.
CROWN AGENTS to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received September 2, 1908.)
[Answered by No. 271.]
Whitehall Gardens, London, S.W., 1 September, 1908. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th ultimo, No. 28305/1908, requesting our observations on a despatch from the Deputy Governor of the Straits Settlements with further reference to the gold reserve of the Currency Commissioners and remittances from and to the Colony.
2. The Deputy Governor's despatch discloses the fact that the situation in the Colony has been even worse than we had thought, as we had supposed that the Colonial Government had sold telegraphic transfers upon us for the purpose of protecting the gold reserve, whereas it now appears that the gold reserve had ceased to exist. That such a state of things should have occurred appears to us to confirm generally the soundness of the views expressed in our letter of the 30th of April,t and to throw a good deal of light on the value of the advice upon which the Colonial Government has acted in the past in making its currency and financial arrangements.
• No. 265.
† No. 250.