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16. s.s. "Annaberg."-The Secretary reported that Messrs. C. W. Kellock and The Committee agreed that the firm's Company had valued this ship at £95,000. account for the valuation should be paid.
17. s.s.
(L
Kalymnos."-The Committee considered the Assistant Paymaster- General's report upon the accounts of this ship :-
(a) £311 was to be allowed for cargo insurance.
(b) It was agreed that the decision of the Committee on the 19th of April to claim exemption from harbour dues and rates was not correct, but that, as the Crown was engaging in ordinary trade, these dues should be paid in the same way as they would be paid by a private firm.
(c) Messrs. Knott should be asked whether the amount which had been credited to the Committee for the provisions, stores, and coal had been debited to the Admiralty, and, if so, to what particular items these credits referred.
(d) Mr. Evans undertook to ascertain when the Admiralty would render their accounts for the repairs to the ship at Malta.
(e) The Assistant Paymaster-General's view as to the charges which should be made against the Transport Department was accepted. Messrs., Knott should be asked why these charges had been made against the Committee, and should be requested to include them in their accounts to the Admiralty.
(f) It was agreed that, subject to the concurrence of the Assistant Paymaster- General, £7 10s. 7d., charged as dues on cargo, should be debited in calculating the commission on profits due to Messrs. Knott.
Subject to the above, the Committee recommended that a report should be obtained from Messrs. Knott on the remaining points raised by the Assistant Paymaster-General.
18. Schooner “ Elfriede.”—In view of the terms of a letter which had now been received from Messrs. C. W. Kellock, the Committee agreed that the Governor might be authorized to sell this ship locally. Notices of the sale should be sent to New Zealand as well as to Australia.
19. Steamships "Barenfels" and "Gutenfels."-The Committee decided that the Secretary should remind the Transport Department as to the transfer of the s.s. "Barenfels" when she had been discharged. The Committee agreed to accept the prices proposed by Messrs. Grahams and Company for the coal left on board these ships after the discharge of their cargo in India.
20. s.s." Quarta."-Mr. Hipwood undertook to obtain a report from the Board of Trade surveyors as to the repairs which had been effected to this ship for the purpose of making her seaworthy.
21.
s.s." Helgoland."-The Secretary was instructed to write to the Admiralty stating that this ship would arrive at Cardiff during the course of the week and ask whether there was any objection to her sale.
22. Valuations of detained ships at Alexandria.-The Secretary informed the Committee that he had received from Messrs. Kellock and Company the valuations of certain ships detained at Alexandria. The valuations had been effected on the instructions of the Prize Court. It was agreed that, although they were in some cases based on the present values of the ship, they must be accepted for insurance purposes.
23. Docking accounts, Gibraltar.-Mr. Evans undertook to make inquiry at the Admiralty as to the accounts which had been rendered for the docking, etc., of prize ships.
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THE SEVENTY-EIGHTH MEETING of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Monday, 13th September, 1915, at 3.15 p.m.
The following members were present:---
1.
VICE-ADMIRAL SIR É. 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. R. A. WISEMAN (Secretary).
The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed.
2. Conditions of sale.-The Committee discussed a memorandum which had been prepared by Mr. Holt pointing out the risk which the Committee were incurring by the condition allowing the purchaser to leave 75 per cent. of the purchase money on mortgage or other guarantee. Mr. Barstow stated that the same point had been raised in a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and that the latter had been inclined to agree with the criticism now made.
It was pointed out that the present arrangements had been proposed to the Admiralty Marshal by the President of the Board of Trade in order to give an ortunity to the small shipowners to bid at sales by auction. Experience, how- r, seemed to show that the only effect in practice was to encourage speculators.
The Committee recommended that Mr. Holt's memorandum should be submitted to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and that the latter should be informed that the Committee concurred in the views expressed in the memorandum.
3. 8.0. Terpsichore."-Mr. Holt reported that a cargo of 2,500 tons of salt at 30s. a ton could be obtained for Sydney (Australia). The ship could probably be fixed back with grain on favourable terms, and the passage out and home was esti- mated to take about eleven months.
The Committee agreed that the ship might be fixed accordingly.
4. s.v. "Neath."-Mr. Holt reported that the charter party only provided for one loading port, but that the charterers had applied for the option of loading at a second port. The charterers were willing to allow the delay due to loading at a second port to be counted as lay days, and were willing to insure the ship from the completion of loading at the first port up till completion of loading at the second port, but they demurred to extending the insurance up till the date when the ship The Newfoundland coast was was safely at sea after leaving the second port. dangerous, though the port itself was said to be safe.
The Committee decided that the charterers should be allowed to load at a second port, provided that they confirmed the statement that the port was safe and agreed to extend the insurance as above suggested. The insurance should cover freight as well as other risks.
"
5. 8.8. ' Grahamland.”—Mr. Holt reported that it had been found that this ship could only load 425 standards, instead of 550 as had been originally estimated. Messrs. Farrar, Groves had telegraphed to say that if the captain was satisfied that no more cargo could be loaded with her ballast tanks full the matter must be left over for adjustment in this country.
8. 8.8. Diyatalawa."-Mr. Holt reported that this ship had been fixed for general cargo from India.
7.
8.5. "Koerber."-The Secretary reported that it had been necessary to remove the antimony, owing to its having generated heat, altl:ough a certificate had previously been obtained from Lloyd's surveyor that the material could be shipped.
The Committee recommended that the reports which had been received on the fires should be sent to Messrs. Glanvill, Enthoven and Company.
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8. 8.3. Tandem."-The Secretary informed the Committee that a letter had been received from Messieurs Goudrand Frères reporting that the freight of this ship had not yet been paid, and that the Intendance Militaire had stated that it could not be paid, as the necessary order for payment had not yet been given by the French Treasury. Mr. Malkin undertook that a further telegram should be sent to the Consul-General at Marseilles on the subject,
The Committee approved the payment of £110 138. 9d. to the Salvage Associa- tion to cover their expenses and services in connexion with this ship.
9 $.8. Paros." The Committee agreed to refund the expenses incurred by the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society in connexion with the loss of this ship.
10. Steamships "Hamm" and "Apolda.”—The Secretary reported that the Customs authorities of Queensland were making arrangements to sell the whole un- claimed or abandoned cargo of these two ships.
11. S.8. Adolphus."-The Committee considered that the date on which this ship should be regarded as having been handed over to the Transport Department should be the 24th of August.
12. $.S. Emir." The Committee considered the report which had been received from the Assistant Paymaster-General on the sale of wine, etc., from this ship. They were of the opinion that, as the expenses which had already been incurred would have to be met in any case, it was not worth while to raise any question on these accounts, and that the loss incurred by Messrs. Churchill and Sim should therefore be refunded.
As a letter had now been received from Messrs. Elder Dempster and Company confirming the statement of Messrs. Churchill and Sim that only 6,477 bales of hemp had been turned out of the ship, the Committee decided to pay that firm the sum of £906 1s. 4d. due to them in accordance with the final accounts received.
13. Submarine signalling apparatus.-The Committee saw no objection to a letter being sent by the Prize Claims Committee to Messrs. Waltons and Company
"Emil." in forming them formally of the release of the apparatus on the s.8.
14. s.s. "Kandy.”
."--The Committee agreed to hand over this ship to the Transport Department as from the date of her discharge. The ship was to be valued by Messrs. Kellock and Company.
With regard to certain accounts which had been received from Captain Segrave, the Committee decided that a letter should be sent to him thanking him for the trouble he had taken in regard to this ship and informing him that a further reply would be sent to him with regard to the accounts enclosed in his letter.
15. Sales of Oversea Prize steamers.-The Committee discussed a list which had been prepared by the Secretary showing those sold by the Committee, those taken over by the Transport Department, and those awaiting the decision of the Admiralty. Having regard to the large amount of tonnage at present required for the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, the Committee considered that the time was not an opportune one to press for the sale of any of the prize ships awaiting the decision of the Admiralty, but they thought that when next a condemned ship had to be offered to the Admiralty the desirability of holding some more sales should be pressed on them as strongly as possible.
16. s.s." Barenfels."-The Committee recommended that the probable date of discharge of this ship should be ascertained and the Transport Department should be informed that they would be liable for the cost of the ship after that date.
41
17. Steamships Rajaburi" and Quarta."-The Committee discussed a letter which had been received from Messrs. Ross, Skolfield and Company urging the. claim of Mr. William Roberts for compensation for losses which he had sustained in connexion with the non-completion of the agreement for the charter of this ship.
As regards Mr. Roberts's contention that he had entered into a charter party for the employment of the 8.8. "Rajaburi" after having first ascertained from Messrs. Waltons and Company that he would be in order in adopting this course, it was pointed out that Mr. Roberts had deliberately taken the risk of chartering this ship before a certificate of seaworthiness had been secured, that it had been Lloyd's surveyor who had raised difficulties in this matter, and that Mr. Roberts had
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withdrawn from the agreement while the Committee, who had never definitely stated that the certificate could not be obtained, were still in negotiation with him on this point, the date of Mr. Roberts's withdrawal being the 8th of April. As regards the Quarta," Mr. Roberts was probably aware that the intimation received from Messrs. Waltons and Company dated the 3rd of April was sent as a result of instruc- tions which were given previously to the interview with Mr. Hipwood to which Mr. Roberts referred. In any case it appeared to the Committee that the matter was covered by Mr. Roberts's letter of the 8th of April, stating that he had decided not to proceed further with the negotiations in respect of either vessel and that the matter must be considered at an end.
The Committee decided, however, that, as the negotiations on the subject had been in the hands of Messrs. Waltons and Company, the representations now received from Messrs. Ross, Skolfield and Company should be sent to that firm to deal with.
The Committee understood that the Board of Trade surveyor considered that the expenses for putting the 8.8. "Quarta" into seaworthy condition were reasonable, and they therefore agreed to pay the account of 12,440 dollars which had been received from the Governor of the Straits Settlements.
18. Messrs. Lachlan's fees.-The Committee considered letters from the Trans- port Department and from Messrs. Lachlan and Company on this subject. Having regard to the representations now made by Messrs. Lachlan and Company as to the unexpected amount of work which had been incurred in connexion with inventories, the Committee agreed to pay a fee of one guinea a day for these services in addition to the valuation fee of ten guineas which had already been agreed upon.
As regards the 8.8. "Lutzow," the Committee agreed to pay fees on this basis, but they considered that, having regard to the special circumstances which existed in the case of this ship, any further amount which had been suggested by the Trans- port Department should be borne by that Department.
19. Accounts.-The Secretary reported that the balance to the credit of the Committee on the 31st of August was £262,501 6s. 11d., and that the undertaking given by the Transport Department amounted to £1,465,879 9s. 1d.
20. Schooner Elfriede." The Committee approved the action which had been taken by the Governor of Fiji in regard to the sale of this ship, which, it was understood, was due on the 15th of September.
21.
8.S." George R."-The Committee recommended that the Admiralty should be reminded as to the inquiry of the Committee whether this ship would be available for sale after the conclusion of her voyage to France with trench timber.
It was agreed that the Committee would be liable for the two bars of copper short delivered from this ship on the conclusion of her voyage from Gibraltar.
The Secretary reported that this ship had been valued by Messrs. Lachlan and Company for £12,868 2s. 4d., and that Mr. Thompson had explained that the bearings on the crank shaft of the ship were damaged and that this was the reason for the low valuation,
22. s.s. "Erymanthos."-The Committee recommended that the Governor of Jamaica should be asked to report what freight had been paid locally in regard to this ship, and should also be asked when her accounts might be expected.
23. s.s. "Bangor."-Mr. Malkin informed the Committee that certain claims for wages, etc., had been put forward by those of the original members of the crew who had been sent home via Sierra Leone. It was understood that the Admiralty would make inquiries as to the arrangements for the crew made in the Falkland Islands by the Commanding Officer of H.M.S. "Macedonia," and that the Secretary should bring up the point at the next meeting of the Committee.
24. 8.0." Yawry."-The Secretary reported that it had now been ascertained that 153 tons of coal had been used in towing this ship to Dakar and that the It was still Admiralty would probably send in a claim for this amount at £2 a ton. uncertain whether any further claim would be made. The Committee decided that Messrs. Houlder, Middleton and Company should be asked to state what gratuity they would recommend should be paid to the master and crew of the s.s. "Keying- for their services in connexion with the towing of this vessel to Dakar.
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