PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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Reference :-
mwimmimC.O. 885
24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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MINUTES.
22. S.S. Rajaburi."--The Committee considered a letter which had been received from Messrs. Alfred Holt and Company regarding the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company's account for repairing this vessel. They agreed that no question need be raised on this account, but they recommended that the Governor of Hong Kong should be asked to explain the charge of £131 39. for appraising the ship.
1597
THE EIGHTY-NINTH MEETING of the Committee was held at the Admiralty on Wednesday, 1st December, 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. 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).
1. The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed. As regards para- graph 18, however, the Secretary stated that in connexion with a previous sale Messrs. Waltons and Company had already inserted stipulations in the addendum to the mortgage deed providing that insurance policies for prize ships must be delivered to the Admiralty.
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2. S.S. "Alwina."-The Chairman stated that he had received information that this ship was at Falmouth, having been laid up there for several months. was understood that the Foreign Office had given instructions for the vessel to be put into the Prize Court, but no further action appeared to have been taken in the matter. Mr. Malkin undertook to look up the Foreign Office papers on the subject. It was suggested that as this ship was a collier she might possibly be found suitable for the coasting trade.
3, 3.5. Genesee."-The agreement with Messrs. Steel, Young and Company for the management of this ship was confirmed. Mr. Holt reported that officers had been selected and would arrive in the Colony on the 28th of December.
4. Logwood.-Mr. Tennyson explained that information had reached the Colonial Office that the Americans were trying to corner all logwood in Jamaica, and that the Colonial Office had taken steps to prohibit the export of this commodity from Jamaica and British Honduras to all destinations except the United Kingdom. As regards Jamaica, however, it appeared that, owing to the failure of the fruit crop, logwood had been exported on ships belonging to the United Fruit Company in order to make up their cargoes, and that if the export of logwood were prohibited there was a risk that the ships belonging to this Company would no longer call at the Colony, and that no other shipping would be available to export it elsewhere. It was hoped, therefore, that arrangements could be made by His Majesty's Govern- ment to send further ships to load from Jamaica in order that it might be possible to relax the prohibition at an early date. Mr. Tennyson understood that three sailing ships would probably be available in June or July, but it was also desirable that, if possible, another ship should be sent before that date. The Committee suggested that other ships might possibly be seized under the recent Order in Council, and if so one of these could be sent to the Colony. It was understood that a shin had just been captured and was being taken to the Falkland Islands as a prize.
5. 8.n." Neath."-Mr. Holt stated that this ship, which had been fixed with a cargo of Government coal for Mauritius, could obtain a cargo of grain back from Australia. He was in negotiation as to the rates which would be payable on the cargo brought home, and he proposed to fix the ship at a rate midway between the current steamer and sailing rates, say, about 80s. or 858. a ton. approved this proposal.
The Committee
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The Committee discussed what value should be assigned to the ship for the purpose of taking a general average. The only definite valuation which was avail- able was that which had been fixed by the Admiralty Marshal at the beginning of the war for insurance purposes. At that date the ship had been valued at £17,500. The Committee recommended that the cargo owners should be asked to accept this amount.
6. s.v. "Chile."-Mr. Holt reported that this ship was badly ashore, and that two tugs from the Admiralty Salvage Department were standing by to salve her.
It was agreed that a report which had been obtained from the Board of Trade Surveyor as to the date of the injury to the ship's rudder before she was taken over by the Committee should be sent to Messrs. Glanvill, Enthoven and Company.
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7. 8.8. 'Hamborn."—A telegram from the Governor-General of Canada, stating that the ship's agent and master would probably refuse to take delivery of the cargo, was considered by the Committee, It was agreed that the Government would in any case have to bear the cost of discharging the cargo from the ship, and the Committee thought that, if there was no legal objection to this course, the Secre- tary of State should ask the Governor-General to inform the agent that, if he would not take the responsibility for the cargo, it would be discharged by the Government from the ship, and that the Government would cease to take any responsibility for the cargo after it had been landed on the wharf. As regards the suggestion that the ship should be allowed to continue her voyage to Cuba, the Committee recom- mended that the Canadian Government should be referred to the correspondence between the German Government and their consuls at neutral ports.
Mr. Holt reported that Messrs. Pickford and Black had telegraphed that they could find a crew for the ship and that they would be ready in the first half of December. They asked for a commission of 150 dollars and 24 per cent. on the cash advanced by them. The Committee agreed that they might be authorized to engage a crew and charter the ship to the United Kingdom with grain. They were to be instructed not to allow the ship to go to a neutral port in any circumstances.
8. 8.5.
Hocking."-Messrs. Pickford and Black were willing to take over this ship on the same terms as the "Hamborn." The Committee authorized Mr. Holt to take action similar to that approved for the ship mentioned.
Mr. Holt reported that he had been charged a fee of two guineas for a copy of certain plans in connexion with the s.8. Hocking." The Committee approved of
the necessary payment being made to Messrs. W. Gray and Company.
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9. 3.5. Koerber."-Mr. Holt reported that Messrs. Stone, of Deptford, had agreed to suggest a price for the tin and brass upon this ship if they were supplied with a copy of the analysis made by the Admiralty chemist upon the samples sent to him. The Committee agreed that their recommendation might be accepted.
The position of the scientific collection which had been brought home from Alexandria was discussed. The Committee recommended that the collection should not be sold but be retained intact with a view to later negotiations with enemy Governments in regard to British scientific collections in their possession. A copy of the correspondence with Kew on the subject should be sent to the Foreign Office.
s.s. "Kawak.”—The Chairman reported that he had agreed with the Transport Department that this ship should be transferred, and the Secretary added that he had given the necessary orders for the ship to be valued. The Chairman had obtained an undertaking from the Transport Department that they would not issue any orders in future to the managers of the Committee's ships before the Com- mittee had agreed to transfer the ships. He had explained the urgent need for a ship to be put up for sale at the present date, and he understood that the 3.8.
Adolphus would be transferred back to the Committee for this purpose. Secretary was instructed to write to the Transport Department accordingly.
The Secretary reported that Mr. Evans had now forwarded papers showing how the account rendered by the Admiralty for two lifeboats supplied to this ship had been made up.
The Admiralty had agreed to allow a credit of 148. 3d. which had been wrongly charged, but the remaining charges were fixed in accordance with the usual policy. The Committee agreed that the account might be paid accordingly. The Secretary suggested that this account ought properly to be debited against the insurance fund and not against the freight account of the ship. The Committee decided that Messrs. Knott, Sons, and Company should be asked for a report as to how the original boats had been lost, and whether the loss would have been recover able from the underwriters if the ship had been insured in the usual way.
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