CO882-(6-8) — Page 603

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882

8

286

think it would be of advantage to agree with that firm a fee for the services to be rendered.

We have, &c., SUTTON, OMMANNEY, AND RENDALL.

2950.

No. 303.

MESSRS. SUTTON, OMMANNEY, AND RENDALL to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received January 27, 1906.)

SIR,

[Copy to Governor, February 2, 1906, No. 33. L.F.]

[Answered by No. 313.]

3 and 4, Great Winchester Street, London, E.C., January 26, 1906.

Straits Settlements.

Tanjong Pagar Dock Company, Limited.

WITH reference to our letter to you, dated the 14th ultimo,* Mr. Bannerman has now sent us the accompanying statement of his claim for services rendered and expenses incurred in connection with the reporting of the proceedings in this Arbitration, this statement being put forward by Mr. Bannerman for the purpose of supporting an application for a further payment on account. The total sum claimed in this statement is at present necessarily only an estimate, as the exact number of folios contained in this transcript has not been yet definitely ascertained. We are of opinion that for the purposes of considering Mr. Bannerman's application for a further payment on account the number of folios may be taken to be 8,000 as a minimum.^

Mr. Bannerman has produced to us vouchers for the first three items of his. claim, with the exception of a small sum of 30s. for gratuities paid by his staff to We would the various people in connection with transporting their luggage. suggest that the correctness of these items be accepted, it being impossible to obtain receipts for all payments of this nature.

With reference to the succeeding items for outfit, allowances and incidental expenses to his staff during the journey out and home, Mr. Bannerman contends that his contract was to supply a staff of two principals and four assistants at Singapore, and that he fulfilled his contract, inasmuch as on Mr. Dawson's being sent home through illness he engaged two other principals from Penang and elsewhere at great expense to himself, the repayment of which he is not claiming in his account against the Government. Under these circumstances, he contends that he is entitled to charge for the full staff of six men instead of for the five who actually performed the journey to and from Singapore.

Having regard to the facts appearing in Mr. Bannerman's letter to us of the 12th ultimo, a copy of which was enclosed in our letter to you of the 14th ultimo,* we consider that Mr. Bannerman's claim in this respect should be allowed.

Mr. Banner man and his staff were, altogether, in Singapore 28 days, they arriving two days before the hearing, which lasted ten days. As the next Peninsular. and Oriental steamer after the conclusion of the proceedings sailed within an hour from the rising of the Court, it was impossible for Mr. Bannerman and his staff to proceed by that steamer, and he thereupon consulted our junior partner as to whether he and his staff should proceed by either of the next steamers, which were vessels belonging to the Messageries Maritimes and the Nord Deutscher Lloyd Companies, one of which sailed about five days and other eleven days after the conclusion of the sittings. Having, at our request, made enquiries at the offices of the steamship companies whether, if he did sail by either of those steamers his return ticket and those of his staff, which were booked by the Peninsular and Oriental line, would be available, and having ascertained that it would necessitate payment of the full fare from Singapore to London, without any allowance being made for the unused tickets, our junior partner instructed him to wait for the next Peninsular and Oriental steamer, which sailed about five days later than the German vessel,

* No. 297.į

287

and he therefore claims payment of hotel and incidental expenses, and an allowance in lieu of work during this period of detention. Mr. Bannerman states that an allowance in this respect was made under similar circumstances both when he was employed by the India Office and also in the Opium Commission, and it appears to us to be a reasonable claim, inasmuch as to cancel the tickets would have entailed a greater expenditure than is involved in the hotel and incidental expenses and allowances for the period between the sailing of the first of the two foreign steamers and the following English mail steamer.

We have discussed with Mr. Bannerman the question of his failure to fulfil his contract to supply the notes day by day, and, having regard to the conditions described in his letter to us of the 12th ultimo, we have suggested to Mr. Bannerman that the justice of the case should be met by his foregoing the charge made for transcribing, amounting to £42. To this Mr. Bannerman has agreed, and we have therefore to recommend that the questions outstanding between the Government and Mr. Bannerman should be settled by making this deduction.

In the event of your approving of the statement enclosed herewith and of our proposals with reference thereto, we should be obliged if you would cause directions to be given for a cheque for £2,000 to be forwarded to us for payment to Mr. Bannerman generally on account.

January 9, 1906.

We have, &c.,

SUTTON, OMMANNEY, AND RENDALL.

Enclosure in No. 308.

Tanjong Pagar Arbitration at Singapore. Shorthand Writer's Charges.

Fares of 6 men and baggage, charges at London and Singapore,

£3 4s. each Freight, &c., stores to Singapore (Messrs. Freeland's charges) Freight and cartage, charges dock dues London and Singapore and

back, and insurance

Outfit allowance, 6 men at £10 10s. each

Allowance in lieu of work on voyage out, 30 days, at £4 4s. each Incidental expenses on voyage out, 30 days, at 24s. Allowance in lieu of work in Singapore, 18 days, at £4 4s. Incidental expenses in Singapore, 6 men at $2 each a day-24s., 28 days

Hotel expenses in Singapore, 28 days:

4 men at $7 a day

2 men at $10 a day

--

Allowance in lieu of work, homeward voyage, 30 days, 6 men at £4 4s. Incidental expenses, 6 men at 4s. a day, 30 days Attendance taking notes, 10 days at 4 guineas a day

Transcript, 8,000 folios at Ed.

do.

50 copies at 2d.-8s. 4d.

Less attendance fees as agreed

Less received

Balance due

:

:

:

:

HOOO22

TOOOOO

£ 8.

d.

19 4 0

9 18 10

12 11 1

63

0

130 0

36 0 75 12 33 12

84

0

58 16 0

130

0

36 42

0

0

0 000

£730 13 11

£266 13 4

3,333 6 8

£3,600 0 0 42 0 0

£3,558

0 0 1

573 6

..£2,984 13 11

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

Received:-

£500

00 in England.

500 0 0 in Singapore.

304 0 0

£1,304 0 0

730 13 11

£573 6 1

2674