PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
PERC.O. 885
24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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MINUTES.
THE SEVENTY-THIRD MEETING of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office . on Monday, 9th August, 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. 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. R. A. WIBEMAN (Secretary).
1. The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed.
2.
5.8.
"Tandem."-The Secretary informed the Committee that the Admiralty had expressed the opinion that this ship would probably be suitable for transport purposes, and had asked that she might not be fixed for any further employment. As Mr. Holt had been unable to fix her since the date of the previous meeting, it was agreed that she should be brought in ballast to London as soon as possible.
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3. S.V. Bellas."-The Committee approved the payment of £42 11s. Od. to the Protection and Indemnity Association for insurance.
4. Steamships "Hamm" and "Apolda."-Mr. Tennyson read to the Com- mittee a letter which had been received from the High Commissioner for the Union of South Africa as to the freight to be charged upon maize loaded from South Africa. He stated that he had spoken to Mr. Harris, of the Federal Steam Naviga- tion Company, and it had been agreed that the following principles should apply:
(a) That no cargo was to be carried at all from South Africa if the carriage would result in a greater loss (due allowance being made for the delay involved) than sending the ship back to Australia in ballast.
(b) Any cargo taken must be carried at the best rate obtainable in the
market for that cargo.
The Committee approved of the High Commissioner being informed in the sense of
the above.
5. S.$. Senegambia."-Mr. Holt reported that he had been informed by Mr. Strick that the Admiralty paid an f.o.b. price to the contractor who was supplying the gunboats for the Persian Gulf. The Committee thought that when this state- ment had been confirmed by the Contract Department of the Admiralty the ship might be definitely fixed.
The agreement with Messrs. F. C. Strick and Company for the voyage to the Persian Gulf and back was confirmed.
6. s.s. "Koerber."-Mr. Holt reported that a second fire had broken out on this ship.
7.
3.5.
"Emil."-The Secretary stated that Mr. Kellock had recommended that the sale should take place on the 7th September. The Committee agreed to this date. 8. 8.8. "Marquis Bacquehem."-The Committee instructed the Secretary to write to the Transport Department and state that this vessel was expected at Falmouth during the week and that she would be handed over for transport services as soon as her cargo had been discharged. The Managers were also to be informed accordingly.
9. s.s. "Thor."-The Secretary read a letter from the Admiralty asking that this ship might be handed over and not sold. The Managers were to be instructed accordingly, and the ship was to be valued by Messrs Lachlan and Company.
The Committee passed the accounts of the second voyage of this ship, subject to the report of their accounting officer.
10. 8.8. "Hans Woermann."-The Transport Department were to be informed that this ship was in the hands of the Admiralty Marshal, to whom they must address any letters on the subject of the expenses incurred on the ship.
MINUTES.
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11. 3.0.
Yawry."--The Committee agreed that an account amounting to £1,982 48. 4d. received from the Governor of Sierra Leone should be forwarded to Messrs. Houlder, Middleton and Company for examination and report.
12. Timber from British Columbia.-The Secretary reported that the British Columbia Government had now received an offer from Mr. Meyer, the agent for the War Office for the purchase of railway sleepers for military use in France. Mr. Holt had ascertained from Mr. Meyer that the sleepers would be purchased f.o.b. by the Government and that the benefit of any special arrangement for freight would therefore accrue to His Majesty's Government. After some discussion the Committee decided that, in view of the terms of their fourth report, they would not be justified in sending a ship to British Columbia, but they recommended that a letter should be written to the Colonial Office setting out the facts and suggesting that the Transport Department should be asked to supply the tonnage required.
8.8. "Istria."-Mr. Holt stated that he had heard that this ship was being used to carry timber, The Secretary was instructed to write to the Transport Department and ask if this report was correct.
13.
The Secretary informed the Committee that Messrs. Waltons' charges for the negotiations with the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation amounted to twenty guineas. The bank was to be asked to pay this sum, together with the other charges for which they were liable under their agreement to the Admiralty. It was decided that the insurance policies should now be lodged with the Assistant Paymaster-General.
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14. S.S. ‘Emir.”—The Secretary reported that he had now received the accounts of Messrs. Churchill and Sim for the sale of the hemp and hemp-tow from this ship.
The accounts were to be sent to the Assistant Paymaster-General, and the sum due to Messrs. Churchill and Sim was to be paid to them when the account had been checked.
15. 8.8. Altair."-The accounts for this ship were passed, subject to the report of the accounting officer.
16. Other ships.-The Committee also discussed the position of the s.8 "Lucia" and the s.v. "Neath."
17. 8.8.
་་
Australia."-The Secretary informed the Committee that the Governor of Ceylon had now reported that the vouchers in connexion with the expenses incurred in docking this ship were required in Ceylon with other prize accounts. It was agreed that the Assistant Paymaster-General should be instructed to pay the account, subject to final audit.
18. Accounts.-The Secretary reported that the balance to the credit of the Committee on the 31st July amounted to £245,528 58. 1d. The undertakings given by the Transport Department represented a further amount of £954,123 5s. 6d.
134 19. S.3. Concadoro."-The Committee passed the accounts for this ship, It was agreed that the loss incurred subject to the report of their accounting officer.
in bringing the ship home for sale must be met from the profits of the sale of the ship.
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20. 8.s. "Ranee."-The Secretary pointed out that the charter party for this He was instructed to write to the ship would expire on the 15th of September. Admiralty and inquire whether she was needed for transport services, pointing out the desirability of keeping as much tonnage as possible in the Eastern trade.
and “Senegambia.”—The Secretary 21. Steamships "C. Ferd. Laeisz
He was in- brought up the question as to the adjudication of these two ships. structed to write to the Admiralty recommending that the question should be discussed with Monsieur Fromageot, the legal adviser of the French Foreign Office, who, it is understood, was shortly visiting the United Kingdom.
22. Submarine signalling apparatus.-The Committee recommended that the Secretary should write to the Procurator-General and ask whether the apparatus on the 8.8.
Schlesien" had been released to the Submarine Signal Company and, if so, why this had been done.
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