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entirely by the Crown; that expenditure incurred between the 16th December and the 28th February was divided equally between the Crown and the cargo owners, and that expenditure subsequent to the 1st of March was entirely borne by the cargo owners, with the exception of the charges for dry docking, which were divided between the cargo owners and Crown (see (f) below). The Committee approved the dates which had been taken by the average adjusters for the apportionment of the charges.

(b) Page 25. Expenses marshal's substitute, 20th August to 23rd November, at 58. a day. Pages 10 and 12. Two watchmen, 20th August to 23rd November, at 78. 6d. a day each.

Page 28. Expenses marshal's substitute, 24th November to 28th February, 30s. a day.

Messrs.

Mr. Bebb explained that there was no complete explanation of the discrepancy in this account for the two periods before and after the 24th November. William Richards and Sons had accepted the account rendered by the Federal Steam Navigation Company, and could not themselves challenge charges made by officers of the Union Government.

He also pointed out that on page 28 there was an account for fees amounting to £548. The Committee agreed that it was open to doubt whether these fees were properly payable. They recommended that a despatch should be sent by the Colonial Office to the Union Government, inquiring whether these fees and expenses were paid by order of Court, and that where the charges made seemed open to question, attention should be called to them, and the Union Government should be asked to ascertain whether they had been correctly charged.

(c) Page 65. Mr. Bebb stated that insurance premiums had been paid net by the Federal Steam Navigation Company. The Committee agreed that the cargo owners should only be charged the net premium.

(d) No allowance had been made in this account for possible premium payable under the Committee's general insurance cover, while the goods were on risk at Capetown. A note should be made of this fact, with a view to the possible recovery of the premium.

(e) Mr. Bebb reported that the last figure under insurance premium should be £77 58. 11d., instead of £76 3s. 5d. The exact amount of this sum had been ascer- tained too late for Messrs. Richards to include it in this account. The alteration involved the increase of the amount payable by the cargo-owners on page 77 by £1 2s. 6d.

( Pages 32-36. The net charges for dry docking the ship, which had taken place subsequently to the 1st of March, were divided equally between the Crown and the cargo-owners. The Committee approved this division of the costs.

(g) The total cost of the provisions from August, 1914, to March, 1915, amounted to £605. The Committee considered this figure not unreasonable, having regard to the number of persons maintained on board.

(h) For ten days at the beginning of February, wages had been paid to two captains, and at the same time, wages as captain were also being paid to Captain Shotton. The Committee considered that no questions need be raised on this point. (2) Pages 8 and 60. The native crew had all been paid twice for the 1st of March. The Committee agreed that no question need be raised.

(1) The native crew had been paid from the 5th of May to the 23rd of November, 1914, and from the 1st of March, 1915, onward at the same rates. During the inter- mediate period they had been paid approximately double wages by the marshal. The Committee thought that inquiry should be made as to why the marshal at Capetown had paid wages as from the 5th May, 1914, and why he had increased the rate of pay as from the 23rd November, 1914.

(*) Page 21. A bill for £9 had been charged as £9 10s. Inquiry should be made why this had been allowed by the marshal's substitute.

(1) Page 46. Included in an item for £149 18. 7d., was a bill for £4 48. 2d., and no explanation was available for what service this amount was incurred. The Federal Steam Navigation Company should be asked to explain.

(m) Page 60.

The

Mr. Bebb stated that he had been unable to find out how an item for £293 16s. 6d., representing an extra month's wages, had been arrived at. Federal Steam Navigation Company should be asked to explain.

(n) Page 66. The Committee considered that the expenditure of £140 for telegrams was not unreasonable.

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(0) Page 70. The whole of the commission of 5 per cent. on disbursements payable to the Federal Steam Navigation Company had been charged to the cargo- owners, although a proportion of the disbursements was payable by the Crown. The Committee considered that Messrs. Richards should be asked to give their reasons for charging the whole amount to the cargo-owners.

The

(P) Page 74. The Committee approved Messrs. Richards' charges of £24 18s. 9d. and eight guineas.

(q) Page 74. No voucher was available for the item amounting to £11 8s. Secretary undertook to see whether any voucher had been sent to him.

(r) Page 76. The Committee approved Messrs. Richards' charges of £420. (8) Page 68. Mr. Bebb stated that he had been unable to ascertain the prin- ciple on which £43 15s., payable for bank commission, had been divided between the cargo-owners and the Crown. Messrs. Richards should be asked to explain.

(t) Page 72. Credit £18. Page 74. £63 10s, 10d., value of stores. The Committee accepted these items.

(u) Coal. Mr. Bebb explained that coal had been bought at various prices, the price on the last two occasions being 16s. 6d. and 98. 3d. a ton. In calculating the credit for the balance of the coal, at the conclusion of the voyage, the cargo- owners were credited at the rate of 12s. 9d.. Messrs. Richards should be asked to explain why they had taken this figure.

6. Accounts. Mr. Bebb was also present during the discussion of this item. He submitted a statement showing that the balance to the credit of the Committee at the end of January amounted to £396,546.

The Committee considered a letter from the Assistant Paymaster-General asking whether inquiries should be made into the discrepancy between the price of dunnage mats supplied to various ships, although the account for such ships might be virtually or completely closed. The Committee thought that it would be best to obtain a statement from the managers in such cases.

7. Steamships "Hamborn," "Hocking."-Mr. Holt explained that the s.s. "Hocking" was discharging her cargo at Brest, and the s.s. "Hamborn" sheltering at St. Jean de Luz. The Committee approved the payment to the Hudson Bay Company of £3,659 on account of their disbursements on these two ships.

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8. 9.8. Grahamland."-The Committee considered a letter from Messrs. Farrar Groves & Company, reporting that they had learnt that the British Columbian Government had rechartered this steamer to the Cameron Lumber Company, who had sub-let the ship to various shippers, and that the freight pay- able to the Cameron Lumber Company amounted to a considerably larger sum than was due to the Committee for the use of the ship. The Committee recommended that the Colonial Office should make inquiries as to the action of the British Columbian Government in this matter.

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9. Steamships 'Rajaburi," Quarta." Mr. Holt reported that he had received a request from the charterers for the payment of £409 spent on dry- docking these ships, on the occasion of the renewal of their charter to the China Navigation Company. The Committee considered that there was no reason why they should pay this bill.

10. 9.8. "Pindos."-The Secretary reported that, in anticipation of the receipt of a letter from the Admiralty requesting the transfer of this ship to the Transport Department, instructions had been given for her to be handed over and for the necessary valuation to be made by Messrs. C. W. Kellock and Company.

11. 5.8. "Seattle."-The Committee recommended that the Admiralty should inquire what had happened to the stores and electrical machinery said to have been on board this steamer in the Falkland Islands.

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12. s.s. "Marina."-The Secretary reported that this ship had now been con- demned as a prize. The Committee recommended that Messrs. Elder Dempster should be asked whether she could be brought home.

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S.S.

"Polkerris."-Mr. Holt reported the arrangements which had been made for the custody of the ship. The Committee were also informed that as Messrs. Lachlan and Company had stated that the ship had been damaged since she had been handed over to the Transport Department, that firm had been asked to hold a survey on the ship at a cost not exceeding five guineas.

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

885/25

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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