403 4
34505
SIR,
No. 69.
FALKLAND ISLANDS.
MR. E. B. BINNIE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received 27th July, 1915.)
The Office of the Magistrate, King Edward Cove, South Georgia,
23rd May, 1915.
I HAVE the honour to forward herewith the sum of one hundred and eighty- three pounds and three shillings (£183 3s. Od.), in drafts made payable to the Crown Agents for the Colonies, to be placed to the credit of the "Belgian Relief Fund.” The amount has been subscribed by the managers and workmen of the various whaling companies operating at South Georgia, as detailed below:-
South Georgia Company, Limited Sandefjord Whaling Company
Tonsberg Whaling Company 8.8. Restitution
Ocean Whaling Company
Compania Argentina de Pesca Floating factory "Ems"
£ s. d.
28 1 6
9 2 0
27
6
45 1 0
18 8 0
44 8 6
11 0 6
£183 3 0
2. I adopted this direct course of transmission on account of the long time it takes to communicate with headquarters at Stanley, and considered it desirable that the money should be forwarded as quickly as possible.
GIBRALTAR.
have, &c.,
EDW. B. BINNIE, Acting Stipendiary Magistrate.
29
assets over liabilities on the 31st December, 1914, amounted to £205,496, and, while it is probable that the revenue for the current year will suffer to some extent from the continuance of the war, the financial position of the Colony on the whole is not, in my opinion, likely to be seriously affected. This Government has not made any direct contribution from Colonial funds towards the expenses of this war, and I suggest for your consideration that a sum of £5,000 should be transferred from the surplus balances of the Colony to the Imperial Government, and that, if convenient to His Majesty's Government, a portion at least of this amount should be devoted to the purchase of an aeroplane as advocated by the Chamber of Commerce.
I have, &c.,
H. G. MILES, Lieutenant-General,
SIR,
Enclosure 1 in No. 70.
Governor.
HONORARY SECRETARY, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, to COLONIAL SECRETARY.
Chamber of Commerce, Gibraltar, 9th April, 1915.
WITH reference to the letter from the Overseas Club, addressed to His Excellency the Governor, published in the Gibraltar Chronicle and Official Gazette of the 10th ultimo, I have the honour to inform you that a' a join! meeting of the Board of Directors of this Chamber and Exchange Committee the presentation to His Majesty's Government of a complete Vickers' gun biplane by the Colony of Gibraltar was fully discussed, and it was unanimously resolved that, in view of the delay that would ensue if such biplane were acquired by public subscription, especially at a time when the local public is generously contributing to other war funds, coupled with the fact that the reserve funds of the Colony are exceptionally large, His Excellency the Governor should be approached with a view of his sanctioning the expenditure out of Colonial funds of the sum of £2,250 to purchase a complete Vickers' gun biplane for presentation to His Majesty's Government in the name of the Colony of Gibraltar.
The members of the Chamber and Exchange Committee therefore trust that His Excellency the Governor may be able to accede to their suggestion, which, in fact, voices the general wish of the people of this Colony.
20388
I have, &c..
H. J. KING,
Honorary Secretary.
·
(No. 72.) SIR,
No. 70.
GIBRALTAR.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(Received 3rd May, 1915.)
[Answered by No. 71.]
Gibraltar, 23rd April, 1915.
I HAVE the honour to transmit for your consideration a copy of a letter addressed to the Colonial Secretary by the Secretary of the local Chamber of Commerce, in which a suggestion is put forward that this Government should con- tribute a sum of £2,250 to purchase a Vickers' gun biplane, complete with gun, for presentation to His Majesty's Government.
2. I attach a copy of the Gibraltar Chronicle and Official Gazette for the 10th of March, in which is published a letter which I received from the Secretary of the Overseas Club inviting contributions for this purpose. The people of Gibraltar have contributed largely to the various relief funds, and are still doing so, and I did not feel justified in taking active steps to organize the collection of subscriptions for the purchase of aeroplanes. It seems to me, however, that the suggestion of the Chamber of Commerce is one which might properly be adopted. The finances of the Colony are in a fairly satisfactory condition. The revenue for 1914 amounted to £89,721, a falling off of £14.913 as compared with 1913. On the other hand there was a considerable saving last year in expenditure, chiefly under Public Works Extraordinary, and, excluding expenditure chargeable to surplus balances, the revenue for 1914 exceeded the expenditure by £8,991. The excess of
* Not reprinted.
W. C. F. Robertson, Esq.,
Colonial Secretary.
20388
(No. 44.)
No. 71.
GIBRALTAR.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.
SIR,
Downing Street, 10th May, 1915. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 23rd of April,* in which you acquaint me of the suggestion made by the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce that a sum of £2,250 should be provided from the surplus funds of the Colony for the purchase of a Vickers' gun biplane to be presented to His Majesty's Government.
2. I consider that Gibraltar may well contribute from public funds the amount suggested by the Chamber of Commerce and Exchange Committee, and I propose, therefore, to ascertain whether the Army Council will accept the proposed gift, and, in the event of an affirmative reply, to authorize the Crown Agents to pay over the sum of £2,250. I will communicate further with you on the subject.
3.
The consideration of further gifts from Gibraltar funds should, at all events in the first place, await the voluntary expression of public opinion in their favour.
* No. 70.
I have, &c,
L. HARCOURT.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference :--
885/25
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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