PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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MINUTES.
The draft offer of the Federal Steam Navigation Company was approved by the Committee, subject to the omission of Clause 8 of the Memorandum, and to Clause 9 being altered so as to make the Company take the coals on board at a valuation. The Committee considered that a separate agreement should be made with the Company for bringing the ship from Australia to the United Kingdom, and Mr. Holt was asked to see to this.
Mr. Barstow stated that arrangements would be made whereby the Federal Steam Navigation Company could, if necessary, be paid a sum in advance when the agreement was signed.
13.
8.s. "Schneefels."-It was pointed out that the contractor would require a further payment when this ship left Gibraltar. The Committee recommended that a telegram should be sent to the Governor asking when she sailed.
14. Steamships “Quarta” and “ Rajaburi.”—An offer from Messrs. Butterfield and Swire for hiring these ships was read to the Committee. The Committee agreed that this firm might have these ships for £350 per month, on the understanding The ships would be that the firm would undertake the docking and repairs. delivered to the firm in good order and should be returned in good order. The Committee agreed that Mr. Holt might sound Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Company in regard to these ships before the offer was accepted.
15. 8.8. "Werner Vinnen."-The Committee recommended that a letter should be sent to Mr. Starkey, giving him particulars of the ship, and asking him whether she would meet his requirements, and what he would offer for her purchase. Mr. Holt undertook to make inquiries as to the terms on which Messrs. Elder Dempster & Company would bring the ship home to the United Kingdom.
16. 8.8. “Eduard.”—The Committee recommended that Mr. Edmund Ludlow's application for a sailing ship for the west coast of Ireland should be transferred to the Admiralty Coasting Trade Office, the Secretary informing him of the action which had been taken by the Board of Trade in the matter.
17.
8.8.
"Diana."-The Committee agreed that this ship might be left at Lagos until her position had been determined by the Court. Mr. Holt would make inquiries of the Niger Company and John Holt, Limited, as to whether they had any wish to make use of the ship in the meantime.
18. Engagement of Auctioneers. Mr. Tennyson informed the Committee of an application which he had received from Messrs. Lachlan & Company to be employed as auctioneers in the event of any ships being sold by the Committee in the United Kingdom. The Committee decided that the Secretary should write to this firm and inform them that they were prepared to engage their services on terms similar to those which had been proposed to Messrs. Kellock & Company.
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THE TWENTY-FIFTH MEETING of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Monday, the 8th of February, 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. WAxely, India Office.
MR. C. TENNYSON, C.M.G., Colonial Office.
MR. T. H. HOLT, Crown Agents.
MR. R. A. WISEMAN (Secretary).
1. The Agreement with the Managers of the Admiralty Coasting Trade Office. -Mr. Roper informed the Committee that the President of the Board of Trade had expressed the view that a definite limit should be placed upon the remunera- It was understood that the tion to be paid to Messrs. Newbigin and Everitt. question would be discussed with the Managers.
MINUTES.
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2. Insurance. Mr. Glanvill, of the firm of Messrs. Glanvill, Enthoven and Company, attended the Committee with regard to the proposals which he had sub- mitted for insuring (a) detained ships lying in oversea ports, and (b) cargo awaiting adjudication or ordered to be detained in any oversea port.
The report of the proceedings will be found elsewhere.*
The Committee agreed that the proposals submitted by Messrs. Glanvill, Enthoven and Company should be accepted.
It was also agreed that a list of the detained ships which required insurance under the scheme should be communicated to Messrs. Glanvill, Enthoven and Company in due course.
3. Ships detained at Zanzibar.-It was suggested to the Committee that the Uganda Railway might possibly be able to make use of some of these ships. The Committee recommended that a telegram should be sent to the East African Govern- ment, inquiring whether they had any proposals to make in regard to them.
4. The "Birkenfels."-The Committee decided that their solicitors should be informed that it was not necessary to insure the enemy cargo on the voyage from Capetown to Australia. They recommended that a clause should be inserted into the memorandum of agreement with Mr. Hughes setting out the fact that the war risk was being borne by the State.
A telegram from South Africa relative to the harbour dues was read, and, in view of the small amount of dues which had accrued in respect of this ship, the Committee recommended that the whole sum should be borne by the cargo owners.
5. The "Fürth."-The Committee recommended that no information should be given to the editor of Fairplay, who had written a letter referring to the pro- posed sale of the ship and making inquiries as to the general policy of the Committee.
6. The "Emir.”—Mr. Holt raised the question as to the freight which should. be claimed from the cargo owners in regard to whose consignments it was not pos- sible to discover the rate payable from the original port to the port of destination. The Committee recommended that the matter should be discussed with Messrs. Elder Dempster and Company. They also recommended that this firm should be asked to publish a notice of the arrival of the ship in the United Kingdom.
Released cargo on board should be insured against marine and war risks. The Secretary was instructed to arrange this with the War Risk Insurance Committee and Messrs. Glanvill, Enthoven and Company.
7. The "Thor."-The Committee were informed that a telegram had been sent to the Governor of Jamaica, in reply to his representation as to the lack of tonnage from the island, asking him for particulars of the cargo available and of the freight which would be paid, and for a statement as to the amount of cargo which could be guaranteed if a ship were to be placed at the disposal of the Colony.
8. The "Lorenzo."-The Committee considered that there would be no objection from an international point of view to this ship proceeding to the Argentine.
9. The "Diana."-Mr. Holt informed the Committee that he had learnt that Messrs. Elder Dempster and Company had no wish to make use of this ship, that he had received no reply from the Niger Company, and that Messrs, John Holt and Company had informed him that they would be willing to make an offer for the ship. The Committee thought that an advertisement might be inserted in the Press asking for tenders for the use of this ship in local trade.
10. The "Rajaburi" and the Quarta."-Mr. Holt informed the Committee that Messrs. Jardine, Matheson and Company did not wish to make an offer for these ships, and that he had received a revised offer from Messrs. Butterfield and Swire.
The Committee were somewhat doubtful as to the adequacy of the figures offered by the latter firm, and they recommended that an advertisement should be inserted in Lloyd's Shipping Gazette, the Times, and the Journal of Commerce, stating that the Committee would consider offers for the employment in local trade of these two ships.
* See Miscellaneous No. 815.