88
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference:-
TLC.O. 885
co
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
SIR,
(No. 38.)
162
CROWN AGENTS to CHIEF SECRETARY, Cyprus.
Cyprus-Reqn. 63,
Downing Street, London, March 21, 1901. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th March, No. 1915/00, relative to the cost of the gunpowder supplied in response to Indent No. 1915/00 of the 13th July.
2. In reply I beg to state that the indent specified "blasting powder for salutes," and, on looking into the matter, we concluded that what was required for the purpose specified was "Powder blank L.G." Blasting powder in the ordinary sense would greatly injure the guns used, and we thought we should he meeting your purpose by providing the powder described.
1
3. With regard to the cost I would observe that the sum of £173 you mention
is made up as follows:-
2,500 lbs. powder, blank L.G. (at War Office Vocabulary
rates)
100 bags
100 quarter barrels with copper hoops
Freight and insurance
£97 10
13 6 8 27 1 8
0
35 7 11
and the cost, or at all events a portion of it, of the empty bags and barrels, can be recovered from the War Department if the articles are returned in serviceable con- .dition.
4. The cost of freight on this occasion was dealt with in our letters of the 30th October and 8th January.
5. The cost of blasting powder, which we could not have considered suitable for the purpose indicated in the requisition, would have been some £76, so that the real excess caused by our substitution is only about £21. We regret, however, that we did not refer back to you for further directions before deciding the matter.
SIR,
(No. 29.)
I have, &c.,
W. H. MERCER.
CROWN AGENTS to CHIEF SECRETARY, Cyprus.
Cyprus-Reqn. 520/1900.
Downing Street, London, March 4, 1901. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 31st of January, No. C. 539/900, giving particulars of the quotations you received in Cyprus for the freight and insurance of the silver coin which is being withdrawn from circula- tion, and which will be returned to this country.
We caused enquiries to be made at the London Office of the Messageries Mari- times Company, with a view to obtaining a better rate for the freight, but they replied that they did not wish to make any alteration in the rate quoted by their Cyprus agent, viz., one third per cent. on the face value.
We obtained, however, an offer from Messrs. Moss and Company, whose agent at Larnaca is Mr. A. L. Montovani, to bring the coin to London via Liverpool at 12s. 6d per cent. on the intrinsic value.
The intrinsic value can be calculated at 48 per cent. on the nominal amount, and the rates quoted by the two companies would compare as follows:-
The Messageries Company at 6s. 8d. per cent. on £60,000 Messrs. Moss and Company at 12s. 6d. per cent. on £28,000
£200 £180
In addition to the lower rate quoted by the latter Company, there will be less loss of interest on the shipments, as their steamers take from five to seven days less time on the voyage than those of the Messageries Company.
As regards the insurance we have obtained a special rate from the London Assurance Corporation of 2s. per cent., less their usual discounts of 5 per cent. and 10 per cent., which compares favourably with the 2s. per cent. quoted by the Imperial Ottoman Bank.
163
We have accepted both these offers, and telegraphed to you as follows on the 25th February ;-
"Referring to your letter of 31st January, ship in steamers Moss line, freight and insurance arranged for in England, consign to Crown Agents." We understand from the Colonial Office that you have been informed by telegram, on the 22nd of February, that it cannot be arranged that the unworn silver should be taken back by the Royal Mint, and it will therefore be paid in to the Bank of England, who have agreed to accept it at a reduced charge of 2s. 6d. per cent., instead of 7s. 6d. per cent., usually charged to bankers who pay in large sums in silver.
I take this opportunity of asking that we may be advised by telegram of the date and nominal amount of each shipment, in order that we may make arrangements for the insurance.
I have, &c.,
W. H. MERCER.
Extract from Letter from Messrs. HOBSON AND SONS to CROWN AGENTS. (Miscellaneous, G. 104.)
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*
April 4, 1901.
As regards the delay in executing these orders we must admit that under ordinary circumstances it would be very serious, but taking into consideration the position we were in we think there are many extenuating circumstances.
Firstly, we think we are placed in a somewhat different position to your other contractors, a very large portion of our trade is with Volunteer regiments, with whom we have a contract to supply them with as much uniform and accoutrements as they may require during periods varying from one to five years, taking one year with another, the number of recruits joining a Volunteer regiment does not vary very much, but last year some regiments recruited 600 men instead of 200, this multiplied by the number of regiments we contract for became very formidable, and was a matter we could not foresee, moreover, all the prices for above contracts were fixed prior to the enormous rise in material and labour, and consequently we lost heavily on nearly every set of equipment supplied to Volunteers, and taking this into consideration it will show that we were very much worse off in 1900 than in 1899, despite the very large increase in our turnover.
Secondly, the demands of the War Office were of such magnitude and of such a pressing character that we were completely paralysed with work, the whole of our staff were working all the hours that it was possible to, we could not get many fresh hands, and those we did get were not of much use.
*
Enclosure "F" in No. 38.
WAR OFFICE to CROWN AGENTS.
(57/30/6017.) GENTLEMEN,
WITH reference to War Office letter, No. 7519/9319, dated 11th May, 1891,
Pall Mall, S.W., June 14, 1893. stating, inter alia, that a uniform charge of five per cent. on the value of stores supplied would be made for a limited period to cover departmental expenses, and the cost of inspection, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Campbell Bannerman to inform you that it has now been definitely ascertained that the cost of these services is 5 per cent., viz., 21 per cent, departmental expenses, and 3 per cent. inspection, and charges at this rate will, in future, be made on all stores obtained from the trade or made in the Ordnance Factories for the Colonies.
Issues from Army stock will continue to be charged at the rate of five per cent. until the new edition of the Priced Vocabulary of Stores is issued.
I am, &c..
A. MAJOR, Assistant Accountant-General.
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