333
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
T:「། །། །
6T
mmin
CO.885/25
144
4. In another matter, as affecting moneys which might otherwise come into the hands of alien enemies, the following action has been taken. A Mr. Ludwig Deuss, who claims Swiss nationality, a nephew of the head of the firm Ludwig Deuss & Company, has been for some years in business in the Protectorate, with his headquarters at Fort Johnston. I deemed it advisable, under the powers vested in me by the Aliens Restrictions Ordinance, No. 9 of 1914, and the rules thereunder (Proclamation No. 19 of 1914), to remove him from Fort Johnston when that place became an important point in our lines of communication, but I have not so far felt it necessary to deal with him otherwise under the ordinance and rules, and he has been allowed to continue his business from another centre. Mr. Ludwig Deuss is indebted in the sum of £3,860 to his father, Gustav Deuss (brother of the Ludwig Deuss of the firm referred to), and his brother, Paul Deuss, who was manager of the Sena sugar factory, to which reference is made in paragraph 4 of my despatch of the 19th of July, both of whom are out of my jurisdiction. Arrangements have been made by which the sums due are being collected through a local firm of solicitors, Messrs. Engelbach & Wilson, who have requested permission, which I have accorded, to lodge the moneys so received in the Government Treasury. £1,085 paid in to date have been invested in the War Loan.
5. Mr. Schmidt, who was till recently in the employ of the London & Blantyre Supply Company (Gardner & Company) has also been interned, as reported in my despatch No. 19 of the 10th instant. The sum of £18 88. 4d, balance standing to his credit in the Standard Bank of South Africa, Blantyre branch, has been transferred to the custody of the Commandant of the intern- ment camp, but Mr. Schmidt has the following local assets :--
Invested with the London & Blantyre Supply Company Deposit with the Masonic Lodge, Blantyre Mortgage on a planter's estate
Debts outstanding due to him
£1,500
20 600
22
£2,142
Directions have been given for the revenues accruing to Mr. Schmidt from these investments and other recoveries to be paid to the Camp Commandant, but I have not, as yet, issued any orders for realization of the principal sums, and I shall be glad to have your instructions on the subject, not only as regards Mr. Schmidt, but in respect generally of all local investments of interned persons and prisoners of war, and as to the disposition of so much thereof as may not be required for their maintenance. The existing arrangements in respect to interned persons is that Government provides, in addition to quarters, rations costing 28. 6d. per head per diem, fuel, and lighting, medical attendance, and necessary clothing in the case of those without means. Luxuries and clothing, the issue of which is controlled by the Camp Commandant, are paid for by the interned persons when they are in the possession of means.
I have, &c.,
G. SMITH,
Governor.
145
respect of a period of approximately six weeks during which they rendered clerical assistance to the Controller in the opening stages of the liquidation.
This order further sanctioned payment of household expenses up to 7th May, as heretofore granted by the company, and thereafter at £10 per mensem to L. Wollner, and at £7 108. each per mensem to Carl Eggers and Oscar Buersing.
This order was subsequently varied on 1st September, 1915, reducing all three allowances to a uniform rate of 1s. 6d. per diem each from the date of their intern- ment, viz., 25th August, 1915, until further order.
In pursuance of these orders of court the following sums were paid :-
L. Wollner.-Salary to 7th May, 1915, plus one month
Allowance at £10, 8th May to 24th August, 1915
O. Buersing.-Salary to 7th May, 1915
£ 8. d.
24 1 4 35 9 8
Allowance at 18. 6d. per diem, 25th August to 31st December, 1915
9 13 6
2 16 5
C. Eggers. Salary to 7th May, 1915, plus one month
Allowance at £7 108., 8th May to 24th August, 1915 Allowance at 18. 6d. per diem, 25th August to 31st December, 1915
Allowance at £7 108., 8th May to 24th August, 1915 Allowance at 1s. 6d. per dien, 25th August to 31st December, 1915
26 12 2
9 13 6
15 6 5
26 12 2 9 13 6
Total
£159 18
8
4. There are, however, two claims which, in accordance with recent instructions
of the Secretary of State, will not be satisfied until after the War.
One is a claim by L. Wollner for trade commissions amounting to approximately £50. No definite sum can be stated or arrived at without communication with the head office of the company in Hamburg.
The other claim referred to is by O. Buersing for the value of private furni- ture, etc., sold as assets of the company when closing down Port Herald branch. When disputed items have been agreed upon the claim will probably amount to about £30.
5. It should be explained that ordinary trade debts to wholesale merchants and shipping companies do not appear in the Blantyre books of the firm for the reason that the Hamburg head office of the company meet all such expenses which they debit to the branches concerned, and it thus happens that the Hamburg house is the only large creditor, the books showing a sum of £17,592 2s. 4d. due to the head office.
6. Although it appears that the main information as to enemy creditors required by the Colonial Office is a list of unsatisfied creditors, it appeared advisable to show also those sums which had already been paid before the receipt of the latest instructions.
After all British, Allied, and neutral creditors have been paid in full it is estimated that there will be a balance available for investment of approximately £12,000, of which a sum of £9,000 has already been invested.
30th December, 1915.
LAURENCE SMITH,
Controller for Ludwig Deuss & Company, in liquidation.
Enclosure 1 in No. 136.
REPORT BY THE CONTROLLER FOR MESSRS. LUDWIG DEUSS & COMPANY, IN LIQUIDATION, CONCERNING CLAIMS BY CREDITORS OF ENEMY NATIONALITY.
1. THE enemy creditors of this company consist of Hermann Werth, a German trading in Nyasaland, and of the late employees of Messrs. Deuss & Com- pany, namely, Ludwig Wollner, late manager, Carl Eggers, late store assistant, and Oscar Buersing, late agent at Port Herald.
2. Hermann Werth, whose trade is almost entirely that of local butcher and dairyman. claimed £10 19s. 9d. against the Blantyre branch of Deuss & Company and £11 16s. against the Port Herald branch for meat, milk, and butter supplied. As this trader was permitted to carry on his business and the Government had not then issued instructions to withhold payment the claim was paid in full.
3. Payments to the late employees of the company were made in accordance with orders of the High Court as follows:-
Order of Court dated 26th June, 1915, authorized payment of salaries to the late employees up to and including 7th May, 1915, plus one mouth's full salary each in
Enclosure 2 in No. 136.
MEMORANDUM ON DISSOLUTION OF PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN MR. E. H. C. MICHAHelles, of Hamburg, AND MR. A. J. STOREY.
THIS partnership was, by an order of the court dated 27th April, 1915, dissolved as from the 4th day of August, 1914.
Mr. MacIntosh, of the Standard Bank of South Africa, was appointed to ascertain the amount due by Mr. A. J. Storey to Mr. E. H. C. Michahelles. By an order of the court dated the-18th November, 1915, the gross sum due to Mr. E. H. C. Michahelles was £41,713 138. 9d., but of that amount £8,927 108. is to form a suspense account to await the final settlement of certain claims by Mr. A. J. Storey on Mr. E. H. C. Michahelles.
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