| PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O
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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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MINUTES.
THE ONE HUNDRED AND TWELFTH MEETING of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Monday, the 22nd of May, 1916, at 3.30 p.m.
Present:
VICE-ADMIRAL SIR E. J. W. SLADE, K.C.I.E., K.C.V.O. (Chairman). MR. W. J. EVANS, Admiralty.
MB. G. L. BARSTOW, C.B., Treasury.
MB. H. W. MALKIN, Foreign Office.
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 an alteration in paragraph 2.
2. S.8. "Edna."-The Committee were informed that instructions had now been sent to Barbados ordering this ship to proceed to the United Kingdom, since the consignees at Barbados and Martinique had refused to accept delivery of the cargo.
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The Committee were also informed that Messrs. Scruttons had agreed to place at the disposal of the cargo owners in Jamaica to their steamship "Serrana whom the s.s. "Edna had been allocated. The Transport Department had, however, written to Messrs. Scrutton on the 19th of May stating that 700 tons of space in the s.s. "Serrana" had definitely been requisitioned for the conveyance of asphalt from Trinidad. The Committee recommended that a letter should be sent to the Transport Department pointing out that great inconvenience would be caused to shippers if the "Serrana was prevented from loading their cargo, and that claims might be advanced in consequence which would have to be met out of públic funds.
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3. 8.8. “Grahamland.”—The Committee discussed certain papers which had been forwarded to the Chairman by the Agent-General for British Columbia. After some discussion it was decided that a draft should be prepared, for approval at the next meeting of the Committee, setting out the Committee's claim against the British Columbian Government.
As regards the question of demurrage, a further letter should be sent to the Agent-General asking for payment of the sum due.
43 4. 8.0.
'Chile."-Mr. Holt read a further letter from Messrs. Workman, Clark, and Company, relative to the hawser left on board the wreck. In view of a letter which had been subsequently received from Mr. T. A. Shute, the Committee decided that Messrs. Workman, Clark, and Company should be informed that the Committee could not admit any liability, having regard to the fact that that firm had had opportunities since the 20th of January of removing the hawser on one of their tugs going in and out of Belfast, and that they had taken no action in the matter although they had been requested to do so by the Committee's manager.
5. 8.0. "Terpsichore."-Mr. Holt reported that this ship would be towed from Queenstown to the Mersey by a private tug.
As regards her future employment the Secretary was to find out if any Com- mittee, and, if so, what Committee, dealt with questions of the relative importance of the various cargoes requiring shipment to the United Kingdom.
6. Prize Cargoes on Prohibited List of Imports.-The Committee considered a letter from the Foreign Office asking for observations upon a request from the Board of Trade that the Marshal at Alexandria should be instructed not to send any prize cargoes to the United Kingdom for sale if such cargoes were on the list of prohibited imports. The Committee recommended that the Foreign Office should telegraph to find out what amount of cargo on this list remained at Alexandria awaiting disposal, and what prospect there was of its being sold locally.
7. 8.8. "Diana."-The Secretary read a letter from the Sun Shipping Com- pany with regard to the delay in the redelivery of this ship. The Sun Shipping Company should not be asked to pay anything above the rate of hire provided for in the charter party.
MINUTES.
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8. Steamships" Rajaburi” and “Quarta."-The Secretary reported that he had ascertained from the Transport Department that these ships would not be delivered until the beginning of June. The Committee agreed that the Secretary should write to the China Navigation Company and ask them to continue the ships' insurances and to pay the month's hire at the rate provided for in the agreement.
9. Schooner " Leonor."-The Secretary reported that this ship had been captured by His Majesty's Canadian ship Rainbow," and was being taken to Esquimalt.
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10. 3.8. Seattle."-The Secretary reported that Messrs. Lachlan and Com- pany had not had an opportunity of inspecting this ship, but that they had provisionally valued her at £197,000.
11. Prize material at Malta.-The Committee recommended that the Colonial Office should write to the Commission Internationale de Ravitaillement, to the Board of Trade, and to the Munitions Department, and ask whether they desired to purchase the material consigned to the Hedjaz Railway on the 8.8. "Erymanthos.”
12. 8.8,
"Telde." Mr. Evans reported that the machinery of this ship was broken, and that she could not be employed for two or three months. The Admiralty were proposing to take her to Gibraltar.
13. 8.3.
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Macedonia."-The Committee discussed some papers received from the Admiralty with regard to the revision of the valuation of this ship. The Com- mittee recommended that the matter should be discussed with Messrs. C. W. Kellock and Company.
14. 8.8. "Australia.”—The Secretary read a letter from Messrs. Gray, Dawes, and Company with regard to the sum paid in compensation for the damage to a plate of this ship. The Committee decided that their claim for the return of £250 should be renewed.
15. Inventories.-The Committee discussed a draft letter to the Assistant Paymaster-General on this subject, and it was decided to adhere to the views expressed at the One Hundred and Eleventh Meeting.*
16. George R."-The Committee agreed to accept the commission payable to Messrs. Porter and Henderson in connexion with the accounts of voyages 4 and 5. The remarks made by Messrs. Tyzack and Branfoot with regard to the refund of £7 10s. 7d. were noted.
17. S.T.
"
Yawry." The Committee agreed that accounts from the Foreign Office for further expenditure at Dakar, amounting to £374 17s. 8d., and from the Governor of Sierra Leone for £7 4s. 4d., should be sent to Messrs. Houlder, Middleton, and Company for a report.
18. 8.0.
"Neath."The Committee approved the payment of £1,000 to Messrs. John Joyce and Company on account of their disbursements at Melbourne.
19. 8.8. "Hamborn."-The Committee agreed that $114-62 should be paid to the Canadian Government in respect of certain provisions on board this ship belonging to the former master.
As regards the judgment in favour of the charterers for 225 tons of bunker coal on board at capture at $4-90 a ton, the Committee recommended that action should be deferred until the Order of the Court had been received, but that steps should be taken to reduce the Crown's undertaking to the Court by $891.80 in respect of the coal on board at the time of the ship's appraisement.
20.
9.S.
'Tandem.”—The Committee approved the payment of £500 to the Federal Steam Navigation Company on account of their disbursements.
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8.0.
21. 8.9. Thor."-The Committee agreed that £170 0s. 5d. could be paid in due course to the Government of Jamaica in respect of their disbursements.
22.
Carl."-The Committee agreed that the sum of £309 7s. 10d. paid to Mr. Starkey should be debited against the earning account of this ship.
23. Accounts--The Secretary reported that the Committee's balance on the 30th of April amounted to £586,660 158, 11d.
* Page 40 (17)."
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