197
85
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference:
885/25
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
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and
MINUTES.
17. Steamships "Hamm
Apolda."-The Committee approved the suggestion made by the Federal Steam Navigation that the valuation of these steamers for the purpose of insurance should be increased to the following:- 'Hamm," £100,000; " Apolda," £80,000.
18. 8.8. "Kawak."-The Committee decided that, subject to the figures being verified by the Assistant Paymaster-General, the account for £129 1s. 4d., which had been received from the Accountant-General of the Navy in respect of coal on board this vessel when she was taken over by the Admiralty, should be settled, as the valuation of the ship for the purpose of transfer included the value of the bunkers on board.
19. Steamships "Werdenfels,” “Gutenfels,” “Barenfels,” and “Lauterfels." -The Committee considered a letter which had been received from the Foreign Office stating that no premium had been collected on the cargo of these vessels under the fire insurance cover. They decided that Messrs. Grahams and Company's proposal that an endeavour should be made to settle the matter with the under- Barenfels," and writers at £100 each in respect of the "Werdenfels," "Gutenfels,' £200 in respect of the "Lauterfels," should be accepted.
20. Gibraltar Prize Court advances from Naval Funds.-The Committee con- sidered a letter from the Admiralty with regard to the sum of £6,625 advanced from naval funds to the Attorney-General at Gibraltar. The question of the payment of this sum had been awaiting consideration pending the decision as to the constitu- tion of the Prize Fund. The Committee observed that a number of charges included in the accounts on which the advances had been made raised questions which had not yet been decided by His Majesty's Government, and they considered that these questions should be decided at once without waiting for the settlement of the general question above referred to, in order that this and other accounts might be closed. The Secretary was instructed to write to the Colonial Office accordingly.
21.
s.s." Pindos."-The Secretary reported that the account of Messrs. Andrew Weir and Company for this vessel had been accepted as satisfactory by the Assis- tant Paymaster-General, subject to audit. He was instructed to inform Messrs. Andrew Weir and Company accordingly.
2304
THE ONE HUNDRED AND NINTH MEETING of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Monday, the 1st of May, 1916, at 3.30 p.m.
The following members were present:-
VICE-ADMIRAL SIR E. J. W. SLADE, K.C.I.E., K.C.V.O. (Chairman).
MR. W. J. EVANS, Admiralty.
MR. G. L. BARSTOW, C.B., Treasury.
MR. C. TENNYSON, C.M.G., Colonial Office.
MR. T. H. HOLT, Crown Agents.
MR. R. A. WISEMAN (Secretary).
1. The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed, subject to the Secre- tary's verifying the first sentence of paragraph 8.
Paragraph 4 of the minutes of the One Hundred and Sixth Meeting of the Committee as to the Avra was deleted.
46
2. 8.8. “ Edna.”-After some discussion the Committee recommended that Mr. Evans should ascertain from Messrs. Grace Brothers what they proposed to do with regard to the payment of freight on the cargo for Barbados and Martinique.
3. 8.8. Grahamland."-
."-Mr. Holt reported that Messrs. Farrar, Groves and Company had stated that an account from the Accountant-General of the Navy for £45 168. 4d. for a manila rope supplied to this ship was excessive, and that the cost of such a rope in the United Kingdom in March or April, 1915, would have been about £26. The Committee decided that a letter should be sent to the Accountant- General stating that the charge appeared to be excessive, and enclosing a copy of Messrs. Farrar, Groves and Company's letter.
MINUTES.
The Secretary reported that this ship had been valued by Messrs. Kellock and Company at £27,020 16s. Od.
Mr. Holt reported that the Agent-General for British Columbia had admitted that demurrage would be due from the Provincial Government.
4. 8.0. Bellas."--Mr. Holt reported that this ship was due to arrive in the United Kingdom towards the end of May or the beginning of June. The Committee agreed that she might take a cargo of patent fuel for the Government railway in Trinidad at a rate in the neighbourhood of £1 a ton.
"
5. Steamships “Quarta and "Rajaburi."-The Secretary brought up the question of the employment of these ships after the expiration of the existing charters to the China Navigation Company. The Committee decided that a letter should be sent to the Shipping Control Committee asking whether it was considered to be more important that the charters of these ships should be renewed or that they should be brought home to this country. The Committee should also be informed that the ships could be utilized to bring from Western Australia the sleepers which were urgently required for the Ceylon railways.
6. 8.8. "Gustav E. Falck."-The Committee agreed that the Procurator- General should be asked to requisition this ship on the conditions referred to in the Foreign Office letter on the subject.
(C
7. 8.5. Marina."-The Secretary reported that arrangements for the valuation of this ship were being made by the Admiralty Marshal in consultation with Messrs. Elder Dempster and Company.
8. Conditions of Sale-Participation of Italian Subjects. It was agreed that the documents forwarded by the Italian Embassy in connexion with the participation of Italian subjects in sales of prize ships might be settled between Mr. Tennyson and Mr. Malkin.
9. Schooner " Oregon.”—The Secretary read an extract from the minutes of the Contraband Committee reporting that this ship was to be taken to Esquimalt. The Committee recommended that the question of requisitioning this ship should be discussed between Mr. Tennyson and the Procurator-General, but that no action should be taken with a view to requisitioning until a writ had been issued against the ship by the Prize Court in Canada.
10. 8.3.
"Istria.”—The Secretary reported that he had received a letter from the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation with regard to the submission of the bank's accounts for this ship.
11.
8.8. "Pindos."-The Secretary reported that he had now received the letter from the Admiralty stating that this vessel was urgently required for the conveyance of mechanical transport for the Army.
12. 8.8. Marquis Bacquehem."-The Secretary reported that this ship had been condemned as prize by the Privy Council on the 13th of April. The Committee considered that the Transport Department should be asked to give an undertaking for the appraised value of this ship as fixed under the Order of the Court at Alex- andria by Messrs. Kellock and Company on the 3rd of September, 1915. agreed that the underwriters could not be asked to refund the amount paid for insurance premium for the period during which this ship was laid up in port.
It was
13. 8.V. Carl." The Committee approved the payment of £3,308 2s. 6d. to Messrs. Thomas Law and Company on account of their disbursements on this ship. The Committee agreed that Mr. Starkey should be repaid the £500 already deposited by him with the Committee, less the amount still due under the charter, and that it was unnecessary to wait for the settlement of the inventory, which had already been considerably delayed.
It was
14. 8.8. "George R."-The Committee considered a report from the Assistant Paymaster-General on the accounts for this ship. It was agreed that Messrs. Mills and Knight's repairing account should be debited to the second voyage and not to the first, and that the managers should be asked to refund £7 10s. 7d. thought unnecessary to claim for the additional one hour for which demurrage was shown to be due under the captain's time-sheet. The Assistant Paymaster-General's remark as to the amount of cargo carried on the first voyage from Gibraltar was noted. Mr. Holt undertook to inquire why Messrs. Porter and Henderson had
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