697
53
'ग य 'ग
Į l l l l l l l l l
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
CO.885/25
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
52
MINUTES.
Bay Company showed that considerable expenditure would he required to put the vessels into condition for trading, and expressed the view that great difficulty would be experienced in finding suitable employment for them when repaired.
It was decided that His Majesty's Procurator-General should be informed that, after exhaustive inquiries, the Committee could see no prospect of useful employment being found for these vessels, and that in these circumstances they had decided that no further steps should be taken on their behalf towards the The letter to the Foreign Office was to embody the requisition of the vessels. decision arrived at at the previous meeting on the subject of the "Oregon," whilst as regards the "Leonor " His Majesty's Procurator-General was to be asked to expedite as much as possible the hearing of the condemnation proceedings.
3. 8.0. "Clevedon."—Mr. Holt mentioned that Messrs. David Bruce and Company, acting on behalf of the Wheat Commission, had asked that this vessel, which had been fixed to load wheat from Melbourne to the United States, should he diverted to the United Kingdom or France. It was considered that, being a sailing vessel, it would be preferable that she should be ordered to the United Kingdom rather than to a French port, and Mr. Holt was authorized to make the best arrangement possible in the circumstances.
4. Eighth Interim Report (concerning the utilization of prize vessels for the replacement of requisitioned ceasele lost through war risk).---Mr. Bunbury explained It appeared that the Board of the present position in regard to this report. Trade, in correspondence with the Treasury, had made certain comments upon the report, but that the Shipping Controller was desirous of reserving for the present an expression of his views, and that the report was therefore in suspense.
5. General Questions.-The discussion of the memorandum on this subject was continued.
(viii). Accounts.—The question of the authority to which accounts forwarded by Oversea Governments should be submitted for examination and acceptance was discussed, and it was decided to recommend that, in the absence of special arrangements, the accounts should be forwarded to the Treasury, as being the Department chiefly concerned.
It was realized that many of the accounts would include items which might properly be passed on to other authorities, but it was thought that the administrative arrangements to be made in this connexion would be a matter to be determined by the Treasury.
Inasmuch as the remaining questions set out in the memorandum under dis- cussion were mainly matters of accounting, and as much could not usefully be taken up until a decision upon the accounting arrangements had been reached, the Secre- tary was instructed to submit, for consideration at the next meeting, a draft of a report to the Treasury covering the recommendations decided upon in regard to the matters which had already been discussed, and including a suitable reference to the questions which had been left in abeyance.
6.
<
8.8.
Adelaide" (renamed
44
Cunene ").--Towards the end of 1916, by arrangement with the Portuguese Government, this vessel, a Portuguese prize, was navigated by His Majesty's Government (Board of Trade) from Loanda to Australia with her original cargo. A sum of £284 had been collected in Australia on account of the insurance of this cargo, and the Colonial Office had invited the views of the Committee as to the manner of disposal of this sum.
With regard to the £88 18. 7d. collected as premium on account of the voyage risk, the Committee did not feel that they were interested, and it was understood that the Colonial Office were intending to pay that sum to the Ministry of Shipping.
As regards the balance of £195 188, 5d. collected in respect of the risk of fire after landing, it appeared that action had been taken on the assumption that the cargo generally was within the scope of the floating cover for prize cargoes which had been arranged by the Committee, whereas in fact only one of the items in question actually fell within such cover, and that only for a part of the period in respect of which premium had been collected. Notwithstanding this, the Com- mittee were of opinion that they might fairly raise a claim to the full amount collected in respect of the fire risk, having regard to the fact that they were called upon from time to time to settle with the insurance companies in respect of cargo properly within the Committee's cover which had been released, without
MINUTES.
the collection of premium. The Colonial Office were accordingly to be asked to remit the sum of £195 188. 5d. to the Committee.
7. List of detained enemy ships.—An advance print of this list was laid before the Committee. The Secretary mentioned that information had now been received as to the vessels in the service of the Admiralty and the Commonwealth Government, and that he hoped to be in a position to circulate prints of the com- pleted list within a few days.
4387
THE ONE Hundred And Fifty-ninth MEETING of the Committee was held in the Colonial Office on Tuesday, the 3rd December, 1918, at 4.30 p.m.
The following members were present:-
ADMIRAL SIR E. J. W. SLADE, K.C.I.E., K.C.V.O. (Chairman). MR. W. J. EVANS, C.B.E., Admiralty.
MR. L. D. WAKELY, India Office.
MR. C. TENNYSON, C.M.G., Colonial Office.
MR. T. H. HOLT, O.B.E., Crown Agents.
MR. G. A. JONES acted as Secretary.
MR. TENNYSON was present only during the discussion of item 7.
1. The minutes of the One Hundred and Fifty-eighth Meeting were confirmed, subject to a slight alteration in paragraph 8.
soon
as
2. Schooners "Leonor" and "Oregon."--The Secretary reported that a reply had been received from the Foreign Office representing that an amicable settlement of these cases was desired from a political point of view, and that they were intending to resume the negotiations with the Mexican Government as Mr. Cummins, who is on his way out, should arrive in Mexico. Therefore, until the present attitude of the Mexican Government in the matter had been ascertained, the Foreign Office desired that the case for the condemnation of the "Leonor should be postponed. As the letter indicated that a copy had been sent to His Majesty's Procurator-General, the Committee did not think that any action was required on their part.
"
3. 8.8. Adelaide" (renamed "Cunene").—The Secretary reported that a detailed examination of the documents received from Australia in connexion with the insurance of cargo from this ship had disclosed that the premium collected in respect of the risk of fire after landing, with the exception of the part attributable to the one item which was properly within the Committee's cover, had been collected This in respect of cargo which had been sold by the Commonwealth authorities. suggested that the cargo concerned was presumed at the time of sale to be enemy cargo. In these circumstances the Committee decided to vary the decision arrived at at the previous meeting, and to ask the Colonial Office only for the premium actually due under the Committee's cover, leaving the balance to be remitted to the Ministry of Shipping.
4. s.v. "Llandaff.”- (See minutes of the One Hundred and Eighteenth Meeting.) A further application on behalf of Mrs. Evans for compensation in respect of the loss of her son in this vessel was considered, and it was decided that the Treasury The should be asked to sanction a grant of £25 from the Committee's funds. case was also to be brought to the notice of the King George's Fund for Sailors with a view to assistance being given from that fund, if possible. Mr. Holt men- tioned that he understood that Messrs. Stewart and Company, the Managers of the vessel at the time of her loss, with whom the boy had been apprenticed, were prepared to add £5 to any grant which the Committee might feel able to make.
"Svithiod.”—The Secretary reported that a telegram had been received from the Governor-General of Canada notifying that this vessel had been con- demned and that the Canadian Government proposed to utilize her for Canadian
trade.
5. 8.0.
6. $.0. Clevedon." Mr. Holt mentioned that this vessel had met with a second accident whilst at Durban, and that the expenses in putting her in order were likely to be heavy. The repairs were to be proceeded with, but the Committee did
1