36
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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Reference :~~
C.O. 885
8
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
45585
SIR,
No. 27.
SOUTHERN NIGERIA.
HIGH COMMISSIONER SIR R. MOOR to MR. CHAMBERLAIN
(No. 398.)
(Received December 26, 1901.)
Government House, Old Calabar, November 30, 1901. REPLYING to your circular despatch of the 1st of June last, with, reference to the relations between the Crown Agents and this Administration, I have the honour to state that I gather from paragraph 3 that the enquiry made is confined to the transactions of the past three years 1899, 1900, and 1901-and the enquiry in the various Departments of the Protectorate has been conducted with that understanding.
2. From the reports received from the various Departments, it appears that the relations existing are generally satisfactory, and that the commercial interests of this Administration have been reasonably protected by the Crown Agents, though there is still complaint in some of the Departments, particularly in the Marine Engineering Yard branch, and the Marine Department proper, also in the Public Works Depart- ment, that there would appear still to be, in some cases, unnecessary delay in the execution of Requisitions. It is, however, necessary and right that I should state that there appears to have been, of late years, a general improvement in this direction.
3. I'enclose, as supporting the statement with regard to the delay in the exe- cution of Requisitions, a copy of a minute by the Marine Superintendent, together with list attached, giving illustrations. I also enclose a copy of a minute by the Director of Public Works to the same effect, in the latter portion of which it is stated that there has been latterly much improvement. The list from the Marine Superintendent, I think, shows that in 1899 matters were worse than at present, and that there has been improvement; but I am of opinion that it might be possible to further expedite the forwarding of materials requisitioned, and would submit that having regard to the circumstances of this Protectorate, where rapid expansion is continually going on, and supplies cannot be obtained locally, it might be possible for the Crown Agents to make some special provision for getting the supplies furnished, perhaps, somewhat more quickly than would be done in the ordinary course. I, of course, recognise that with the enormous business undertaken by the Crown Agents there must be a methodi- cal system of putting all Requisitions through, which naturally takes more time than where the business is of a comparatively restricted nature.
4. I cannot, however, close this despatch on a question to which I have given very considerable personal attention, and had some experience in having organised and managed the London Agency of this Protectorate in 1893-4, before the Crown Agents transacted business for the Administration, without paying a tribute to the Crown Agents for the expeditious and satisfactory manner in which the stores, supplies, equip- ment, &c., for the Aro Expedition have been purchased and sent out. I do not sup- pose that there is any Business Firm in the United Kingdom that would have executed the work more promptly and satisfactorily. To this action of the Crown Agents a proportion of whatever success the Expedition meets with will, undoubtedly, be due. I should mention the name of Mr. Leslie, who was detailed by the Crown Agents to look after this work, and with whom I was in personal communication in
the matter.
5. There is one point that occurs to me in which, perhaps, some improvement could probably be made-which is the question of inspection and passing of goods for shipment, which has not, in all cases, proved satisfactory. I can only mention, at the moment, as having lately occurred, the case of some tiles which were lately shipped to the Protectorate, and also the case of a maxim-gun, in both of which the inspection was far from satisfactory. I am not putting this forward at all in the spirit of com- plaint, and have not, therefore, gone into the matter as required by paragraph 3 of
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your despatch. I merely wish to call attention to it as a direction in which there is probably still some room for improvement.
Enclosure 1 in No. 27.
I am, &c.,
R. MOOR, High Commissioner.
MINUTE by the Marine Superintendent, dated the 28th of August, 1901.
The only real complaints that are heard throughout the Branches of this Depart- ment are with respect to the long delay that occurs in the execution of requisitions. Formerly, when this Protectorate had its own purchasing agent, we got things out very much quicker than we do now, and it is difficult to understand why ready-made or stock articles take such a long time to procure and despatch. I attach a list of a few Indents illustrative of this.
HERBERT A. CHILD,
Superintendent of Marine.
MARINE ENGINEERING BRANCH, OLD CALABAR, July 11, 1901.
LIST OF REQUISITIONS sent to England which were not executed in due time.
No. of
Date.
Requisition.
261
!
22
Dec. 7, 1900
Description of Stores.
Date of Arrival.
"Sokota."
May 24, 1900 Iron bars, bolts, and nuts, round iron, square January 3, 1901,
iron, angle iron, &c., &c.
' brass cocks, set pump cocks, steam gauges, gauge glasses, tin shears, hack saw blades, callipers, in and out, clyburn spanners, engineer's band ⚫ hammers, moulder's tools, sledge hammer, and crucibles, &c., &c.
Moulding sand, tin sheet, live clay, asbestos sheeting, asbestos packing, coke, brass rod, gauge wire, soft solder, and Muntz metal, &c., &c.
Steel slates, flat bar iron, round iron, angle iron, brass bolts and nuts, iron bolts and nuts, rivets and iron nuts, &c., &c.
8.8.
July 20, 1901,
per 8 8. "Oron."
July 20, 1901, with
exception of coke.
23
Dec. 7, 1900
35
Feb. 7, 1901
July 20, 1901,
per 8.8. "Oron.”
I certify that, on the evidence of their invoices, the dates of the arrival of the above stores as given in the "Date of Arrival" column are correct.
J. W. KIRK, Superintendent Engineer,
# 2
STATEMENT of INDENTS sent to ENGLAND which were not executed in due time.
Description of Articles,
!
Date of arrival of Stores,
Vessel arrived by.
Period between Date of Indentand Date of arrival
of Stores.
8 months.
No. of Indent.]
Date of Indent,
Station,
Feb. 16, 1900
S.S."Fantee"
}
Mar. 1, 1900
S.S." Oron
"
9
"
Mar. 1, 1900
8.8. "Oron"
7
77
Sept. 27, 1900
S.S. "Olenda "
7
"
Shackles, clip hooks, stencil plates and Seizing wire.
100 sheets Muntz metal: 10 sheets pure coppor, 16 oz. gauge.
2 port side lights; two star- board side lights.
Launch bow steam riding lights, small size Manilla rope, lines, nails, and
screws.
8.N. ensigns, 6′ x ‡'.....
195
June 3, 1899
Old Calabar
195
June 3, 1899
197
July 14, 1899
242
Feb. 12, 1900