PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
IL CO. 885
24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- | COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH——NOT TO
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MINUTES.
It was thought that no action could usefully be taken to reimburse the Admiralty pending a decision as to the constitution of the Prize Fund.
27.
Letter from Commission Internationale de Ravitaillement.--The Commit- tee thought that there was no objection to forwarding to the Commission the sub- stance of a letter which had already been sent to the London Chamber of Commerce giving particulars as to the employment of detained enemy ships.
905
THE FIFTY-Fourth Meeting of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Monday, 31st May, 1915, at 3.15 p.m.
The following members were present:-
1.
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. C. HIPWOOD, Board of Trade.
MR. H. W. MALKIN, Foreign Office.
MR. L. D. WAKELY, India Office.
MR. C. TENNYSON, C.M.G., Colonial Office.
MR. T. H. HOLT, Crown Agents.
MR. H. A. WISEMAN, Secretary.
The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed, with one alteration. 2. Steamships "Adolphus" and "George R."-Mr. Evans reported that the Transport Department had not yet submitted their proposals with regard to the Fourth Interim Report to the Board, and that the Admiralty had therefore been unable to write to the Treasury on the subject. As it was, therefore, likely that the decision of His Majesty's Government upon the report would not be reached for the present, the Committee approved of both these ships being fixed for the carriage of coal to London.
3. Appraisement of ships and cargo.-The Committee approved a draft which the Secretary proposed to send to the Foreign Office setting out the circumstances under which ships and cargoes delivered to the Crown should be appraised.
The Committee also approved the draft of a letter to the Admiralty suggest- ing that the condemned ships which had been taken over by the Transport Depart- ment otherwise than by arrangement with the Committee should be valued.
The Secretary raised the question as to whether ships ordered to be detained under the provisions of the Hague Convention No. VI. of 1907 should all be appraised by the Court. The Committee thought that, as a matter of principle, it would be desirable that this should be done, and he was asked to write to the Procurator-General with regard to ships detained in United Kingdom ports. Oversea Governments should also be approached in cases where appraisement had not hitherto been made by the local courts.
4.
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3.3. Concadoro."--Mr. Holt reported that this ship was expected to arrive in London on the 15th of June.
The Committee had no objection to the terms of the draft notices which had been prepared by Messrs. Lachlan and Company for the sale of the ship on the 22nd of June, but they suggested that the notices should be compared with those for the
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5.
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8.8. Frisia."-The Peninsular and Oriental Steamship Company had reported that an expense of £69 19s. 11d. had been incurred on the removal of the 2,239 bags of rice, bran, etc., discharged from the ship after her clearance from Rangoon Mr. Holt pointed out that there was no means of checking this expense. The Committee agreed that the company might pay and include the sum in their accounts.
No. 4 in Appendix A.
MINUTES.
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6. 5.5. “Barenfels.”—Mr. Holt reported to the Committee that Messrs. Grahams and Company had instructed their agents to effect certain necessary repairs on this ship.
7. s.s." Helgoland.”—Mr. Wakely reported that the Wheat Committee were not prepared to pay the cost of shifting the ship from Chittagong to Karachi. It was suggested that a cargo of sugar might be brought home from Java, and Mr. Holt undertook to find out from the managers what they would recommend.
8. 5.S. Erymunthos."--Mr. Holt reported to the Committee that the 8.8. "Ethiope," which had been torpedoed by a German submarine, had had on board a large supply of Government stores (including coal) which were urgently required in West Africa. The Committee agreed, in the circumstances, that the s.s. "Eryman- thos" should be employed to take out Government cargo for the West African Colonies, and the Transport Department were to be informed that the ship was being fixed accordingly. The Committee understood that the freight which would be earned would be the contract freight between the Crown Agents and Messrs. Elder Dempster and Company, plus 15 per cent.
9. 5.8. Rappenfels."-Mr. Holt reported that Messrs. Grahams and Company had fixed this ship with the Clan Line with cargo for Bombay.
The Committee decided that a letter should be written to all their managers. asking them to instruct their captains to comply with the Admiralty directions in Any future agreements with the same way as if the ships were insured in a club. managers should contain a clause binding them to do this.
Mr. Hipwood undertook to authorize the War Risks Insurance Office to insure the cargo carried on the s.s. "Rappenfels."
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'Chile."-The Committee approved of £2,000 being paid to Messrs.
T A. Shute on account of their disbursements.
11. S.V.
Yawry."-Mr. Holt reported that Messrs. Elder Dempster and Company could obtain three to four thousand tons of cargo from three ports in West Africa at 24s. a ton. Such an arrangement would involve loading at three ports, which meant a considerable expense and would lead to further difficulties. He had ascertained that the cargo, which was being offered from the North Pacific was wheat.
The Committee agreed that the ship should be fixed for the North Pacific.
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12. 8.0. Llandaff."-Mr. Holt reported that Mr. John Stewart had informed him that he would sign the inventory which had been referred to at a previous meeting, provided that it contained a sentence to the following effect: "All stores more or less worn, many useless and replaced." The Committee saw no objection to the inventory being signed on these terms.
13. Copper from Gibraltar.--Mr. Holt informed the Committee that Messrs. Henry had been unable to obtain figures for the copper which had been loaded home from Gibraltar, and that the accounts of the managers of the ships could not be closed. The Chairman undertook to see if the necessary particulars could be obtained, and Mr. Holt was requested to inform the managers that their out-of- pocket expenses and 75 per cent. of their commission would be paid to them, subject to a final settlement when the accounts could be completed.
14.
8.S. "Reichenfels."-The Committee again discussed the position of this ship. The Secretary was instructed to inform Messrs. Grahams and Company that no answer could be given to their application to deal with the ship.
15. Ꭶ... "Emir."-The Committee recommended that the Governor of Gibraltar should be informed that it was considered undesirable to approach the claimants to the consignment of mangrove bark, and that he should be asked why it was suggested that their consent to its sale was necessary. The Committee thought that if the difficulty was caused by the cargo having gone outside the jurisdiction of the Court it should be seized in this country and placed under the jurisdiction of the Court in the United Kingdom.
It was decided that the substance of a letter from Messrs. Hindley and Com- pany should be sent to Messrs. Churchill and Sim, who should be asked to report upon the subject.
The Secretary informed the Committee that Messrs. Churchill and Sim would sell the cargo of cedar by auction on the 2nd of June.
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