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MINUTES.
11. Steamship “Slawentzitz."-The Committee recommended that a telegram should be sent to the Governor of Gibraltar asking how soon this ship could be made ready for use, if it was desired to bring her to the United Kingdom at an early date. The local Court should also be asked to rescind their order for sale.
12. Steamship “Istria.”—Mr. Malkin undertook to make inquiries at Alex- andria as to the position of the cargo on this ship, and the Committee thought that Messrs. Gilbert Samuel & Company should be informed that such inquiries were being made and that a further reply would be made to them later.
13. Letters from Messrs. Lawther, Latta & Company and from Messrs. Turner, Davidson & Company, both suggesting that they should act as the Com- mittee's agents in hiring out ships, were considered by the Committee at this meeting.
96
THE FOURTEEnth Meeting of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Wednesday, 6th January, 1915, at 11 a.m.
The following members were present :---
VICE-ADMIRAL SIR É. J. W. SLADE, K.C.I.E., K.C.V.O. (Chairman).
MR. G. L. BARSTOW, C.B., Treasury,
MR. W. J. EVANS, Admiralty.
MR. G. ROPER, Board of Trade.
MR. H. W. MALKIN. Foreign Office.
MR. L. D. WAKELY, India Office.
MR. C. B. TENNYSON, C.M.G., Colonial Office.
MR. T. H. HOLT, Crown Agents.
MR. R. A. WISEMAN (Secretary).
1. Representatives of various gas, electric light, and coal contracting firms of London appeared before the Committee to give evidence with regard to the supply of coal for the various public services in London. The names of those present and a report of the proceedings will be found elsewhere.*
The general conclusion reached by the Committee was that 90,000 tons of coal a week, in addition to the supply being imported at the moment, were required to meet the needs of the situation.
After the representatives of the firms referred to had withdrawn, the Com- mittee discussed how far the situation could be met by putting into use such of the enemy vessels entitled to the benefit of the Hague Convention No. VI. of 1907, and held up at ports in the United Kingdom, as were available and suitable.
The Committee inclined to the view that the best method of putting these ships into use in the trade would be to obtain the services of a few contractors, to whom the ships would be let out at a fixed rate per month. The terms upon which such contractors should be permitted to hire out these ships to the gas, electric light, and other firms occupied in services of general public utility should be fixed beforehand.
It was thought that if an arrangement were concluded with any contractors their gross profits should not be calculated at a higher rate than, say, 8 per cent. It was arranged, however, that the Chairman should discuss the whole matter with the President of the Board of Trade before a settlement was finally reached.
Mr. Holt and Mr. Roper undertook to ascertain the names of the particular firms who were employed in bringing coal to London. Mr. Holt also under- took to obtain a list of the names of the firms, either in London
or else- where. who could undertake to act as agents for the Committee in making the ships ready for use, and Mr. Roper undertook to see that instructions should be given to the Board of Trade surveyors at the various ports to survey the detained ships, with a view to their being put into a seaworthy condition at an early date, and to report on their state of repair and suitability.
* See Miscellaneous No. 818.
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2. Mr. Rackham, from the office of the Admiralty Marshal, furnished the Committee with certain particulars as to the detained ships in the United Kingdom, in addition to those which had already been supplied by the Admiralty Marshal. The chief points mentioned by Mr. Rackham were that almost all the detained ships had already been discharged of their cargoes, that the ships were mostly in good condition, and that, in addition to the number of vessels mentioned on the Admiralty Marshal's list, there were five more whose position had not yet been determined by the Court, though two of them had been requisitioned by the Admiralty. Mr. Rackham also stated that it would not be necessary to apply to the Judge if it were desired to requisition any of these vessels, but that an application to the Registrar would be sufficient.
3. Steamship" Australia."—A letter from the British India Steam Naviga- tion Company was laid before the Committee, and instructions given as to the reply to be sent.
105
THE FIFTEEnth Meeting of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Thursday, the 7th of January, 1915, at 3.15 p.m.
The following members were present:-
VICE-ADMIRAL SIR E. J. W. SLADE, K.C.I.E., K.C.V.O. (Chairman).' MR. W. J. EVANS, Admiralty.
MR. G. L. BARSTOW, C.B., Treasury.
MR. G. ROPER, Board of Trade.
MR. H. W. MALKIN, Foreign Office.
MR. L. D. WAKELY, India Office.
MR. C. B. TENNYSON, C.M.G., Colonial Office.
MR. T. H. HOLT, Crown Agents.
MR. R. A. WISEMAN (Secretary).
1. Steamship" Australia."-The Committee decided that, before finally closing with the offer of the British India Steam Navigation Company for the purchase of this ship, a letter should be sent to the Admiralty stating that they proposed to sell her, and asking whether the Admiralty had any objection to the sale.
As regards the method of effecting the sale, Mr. Tennyson stated that the Board of Trade were sending particulars of the ship to the Customs, and that it had been arranged that the Transport Department of the Admiralty should apply to the Customs Department for the registry of the ship as a Government vessel under the terms of the Order in Council of 1911, upon an understanding that a proper survey should be made later. The application for the registry would be in the name of the Secretary to the Admiralty.
2. Steamship "Fürth.”—The Chairman stated that he had received an offer from the Anglo-Persian Oil Company to charter the ship at the rate of 3s. a ton a month. He stated that the Company were losing a large sum of money in demur- rage on goods which were lying at Liverpool and for which the Company had been unable to obtain a ship. The Committee considered that, as the Government had so large an interest in the profits of this Company, they would be justified in hiring the ship out to the Company provided that they could be assured that the Company were paying approximately the market rate of hire for the ship. It was arranged that Mr. Holt should make inquiries with a view to fixing this rate.
It was thought that the Admiralty should be informed of the position of affairs, and asked whether they concurred in the proposal of the Committee to hire the ship to the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. The Secretary was authorized, on the receipt of a reply from the Admiralty, to write to the Company, and to inform them that the Committee were willing to allow them the use of this ship, the rate of charter to he subsequently determined.
It was decided that the insurance of the ship should be cancelled at the end of the month.
3. Steamship "Bethania."-The Chairman stated that he proposed to offer this ship also to the Anglo-Persian Oil Company to carry pipe lines from Boston to the Persian Gulf, the crew being sent out to Jamaica. It was arranged that Mr. Holt should make inquiries as to the rates which should be charged by the Committee.