MINUTES.
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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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Reference :-
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24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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6. S.D. Yawry."-Messrs. Houlder, Middleton and Company reported that they had been unable to send the bill of lading with the stores which had been sent The Committee recommended that the "Albertville." .out for this ship by the s.s. Foreign Office should send a telegram to the Acting Consul at Dakar to explain the position, and to ask him to arrange that there should be no difficulties with the local `ustoms authorities.
7. 8.0. "Neath.”—Mr. Holt reported that this ship had gone aground near If it was not possible to get the Beachies Head, Alexandra Bay, Newfoundland. ship off by unloading her it would be necessary for her to obtain the assistance of "Othello," belonging to Messrs. Bowring and Company, to assist in the sal- the s.s vage operations. The Committee recommended that a telegram should be sent to the Governor of Newfoundland explaining the position and asking if the local Government would give all possible assistance in order to prevent heavy charges for salvage operations.
8. s.s. "Fürth."-Mr. Wakely reported that he had ascertained that the Indian Marine were paying the masters of their ships £40 per month, with 8s. a day subsistence allowance while in port, and that they were receiving no further remu- neration of any kind as war bonus.
In these circumstances the Committee considered that no gratuity should be given to the captain of the "Fürth."
9. s.s." Istria."-The Secretary reported that he had received a telegram from the Transport Department, stating that they desired to take over this ship, and that a letter would follow. He had not yet received this letter, but it was necessary to arrive at some decision with regard to the future employment of this ship as it was likely that she would be discharged by the 1st July, and it would then be necessary to take her over from the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. The Committee were not prepared to hand her over to the Transport Department with- out further information, but they decided that Messrs. Houlder. Middleton and Company should be instructed to take over the ship on behalf of the Committee after her discharge, and to make the necessary arrangements with regard to the stores and bunker coal as required by Clause 5 of the Agreement with the Corporation.
10. Ships requisitioned by the Military Authorities at Alexandria.-The Secretary informed the Committee of a letter which he had received from the War Office relative to the accounts of the steamships "Derfflinger," "Lutzow," and "Sud- mark," The War Office were to be asked to make an early payment on account to Messrs. Harris and Dixon, who had reported that they had already spent £5,000 on the two last ships, and the Secretary was also instructed to ask what procedure the War Office wished the Committee to adopt in regard to future accounts for requisitioned ships.
had been brought home Mr. Holt informed the Committee that the Lutzow" empty. The Committee recommended that the action of the Transport Department in not carrying cargo should be considered at their next meeting, when it was hoped that information might be available as to the amount of cargo at Alexandria await- ing shipment for the United Kingdom.
11 Railway material at Alexandria and Malta.—The Committee instructed the Secretary to write to the War Office and point out that the charges on this material were accumulating, and to ask what action the War Office wished the Com- mittee to take with regard to its disposal.
12.
8.8. "Emir."-The Secretary reported that certain stores which had been put up for auction on the 17th June, and for which no bid had been obtained, had now been reported by Messrs. Churchill and Sim to be unsaleable. The Committee approved the latter's recommendation that the goods should be destroyed
The Secretary reported the sale of 20 tons of mangrove bark.
13. Steamships “Gutenfels,"
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Barenfels," "Lauterfels," "Werdenfels."- The Committee decided that the Secretary should write and inform Messrs. Grahams and Company of a recommendation, made by the Procurator at Alexandria, that a reserve price should be put on condemned or detained goods sold by the representa- tives, after their value had been ascertained.
1087
THE SIXTY-THIRD MEETING of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Thursday, 1st July, 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. C. HIPWOOD, Board of Trade.
MR. R. A. C. SPERLING, Foreign Office.
MR. L.. D. WAKELY, India Office.
MR. C. TENNYSON, C.M.G., Colonial Office.
MR. T. H. HOLT, Crown Agents.
MR. R. A. WISEMAN (Secretary).
1. The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed.
2.
s.s." Kalymnos."--Mr. Holt reported that he had learnt that this ship was not being used to carry oleum from the United States. The ship had been sent to New York, but as there was no oleum to carry she had been sent to Cuba to load sugar.
The Committee instructed the Secretary to write to the Transport Department Græcia,"
on the subject. A reference was to be made in the same letter to the s.s. which was being handed over to carry oleum.
3. s.v. "Bellas."-The Committee recommended that a telegram should be sent
to Canada asking for an early reply to the inquiries already made.
4. 8.8.
"A
Emil."-Mr. Holt reported that this ship had been fixed to go to St. Nazaire with coal from South Wales. A telegram had since been received asking that the ship might be allowed to discharge at Bordeaux. Mr. Holt pointed out that, although the discharge at Bordeaux was not very good, the charter provided for a high rate of demurrage. It was agreed that, if a fairly prompt discharge could be obtained and if the ship could subsequently be loaded with pit props, which the Board of Trade were very anxious to obtain, the ship might be allowed to dis- charge at Bordeaux. Otherwise she should discharge at St. Nazaire and proceed to Bilbao to load ore.
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5. 8.8. Grahamland."-The Committee considered two telegrams, one from the captain to Messrs. Farrar, Groves and Company, and another from the Governor to the Colonial Office, as to the condition of this ship. Messrs. Farrar, Groves had agreed that, in view of the latter telegram, it would be practicable to send this ship to British Columbia, and Mr. Holt was authorized to fix her if the necessary arrangements could be made with the Agent-General.
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6. 8.T. Neath."-Mr. Holt reported that this ship had been refloated without assistance. The Committee agreed that the captain of the ship and Messrs. Bowring could be allowed to represent the Committee's interests in the matter.
7. 8.8. Koerber."-Mr. Holt read a telegram from the Khedivial Company reporting that at present the Marshal had only 500 tons of cargo which he wished to send to London, but that further cargo could be obtained if the ship waited for another two or three weeks.
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Messrs. Holland had calculated that the cost of bringing this ship home, allow- ing for the delay of three weeks, would be £6,500, and as the ship could only carry 4,000 tons of cargo there would in any case be a loss on the voyage. In view, how- ever, of the fact that the Transport Department wished the ship to be brought to the United Kingdom, it was agreed that arrangements might be made for loading her home with the 500 tons of released cargo, Dr. Schneider's scientific collection, and any other cargo that could be obtained. The released cargo was to be charged at the market rate of freight.
The Secretary was instructed to write to the Transport Department and inform them of the arrangements which were being made, and to ask whether the Transport Department would bear the cost of the voyage over and above that which could be paid for out of the freight.