CO885-(25-26) — Page 230

223

87

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O

Reference :---

885/25

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

86

MINUTES.

16. 8.8. "Frisia."―The Secretary reported to the Committee that certain alterations had been made in the draft considered by the Committee at the previous meeting. These alterations had been discussed between Mr. Holt, Mr. Bebb, and the Secretary, and had been approved by Mr. Barstow. The Committee concurred in the reply to the Company as finally settled.

17.

56

8.8. Adolphus."-The Committee considered a letter from Messrs. Tyzack and Branfoot with regard to the charge of £11 included in their account for a portion of the damage in the holds, for which Messrs. William Cory and Sons had settled their own liability at £50 18s. 3d. As the managers reported that the £11 was incurred to repair damage for which Messrs. Cory were not responsible, the Committee decided that the charge might be accepted and the accounts closed, subject to audit.

18. 8.3.

Markomannia."-The Committee considered a despatch from the Governor of the Straits Settlements, from which it appeared that two of the ship's boats, which had been condemned as prize, still remained in the Colony, as a pur- chaser had not been found at their appraised value. The Committee recommended that the boats should be sold for what they could fetch, and that the Transport Department should be informed that instructions to this effect were being given and that if they wished to obtain the boats they should communicate with the Governor of the Straits Settlements.

2968

THE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIXTH MEETING of the Committee was held at the Colonial Office on Monday, the 27th of November, 1916, at 3.15 p.m.

The following members were present:

1

VICE-ADMIRAL SIR E. 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. H. W. MALKIN, Foreign 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.

CL

2. 5.8. Diana."-The Committee considered certain correspondence between Mr. Holt and Messrs. Glanvill, Enthoven, and Company with regard to the com- plement of this ship. They decided that Mr. Hipwood should be asked to advise with regard to the Board of Trade requirements in the matter, and that when he had done so the position should be made clear to the underwriters.

3. 8.8. Nicolaos." The Secretary reported that this ship had been sold on the 22nd of November to the Overseas Syndicate, Limited, for £29,250. The Com- mittee then discussed the position with regard to the payment of the share due to the Greek part-owner. It was decided that the Procurator should be instructed by telegraph to pay into Court £E.12,000, as already directed by the Court, together with any interest due up to date, but that he should at the same time apply to the Court to reduce the sum payable to the Greek to forty per cent. of £29,250, less the expenses of sale. He should also be informed that there were certain claims against the Greek for mortgages on the vessel, and he should be asked to suggest that the part-owner should bear his proportion of Fee 49 under Appendix B to the Prize Court Rules, 1914.

The Committee considered a claim from Captain Purvis, the master, to be compensated for the loss of instruments and navigation books amounting to £14 58. 6d., and also for compensation to the chief officer to the amount of £7 108. for the loss of a sextant. The Committee decided that, as both the captain and chief officer were sent off at short notice, and, therefore, had no time to arrange insurance, the claims should be allowed.

The Committee considered it unnecessary to make any reference in the contract for sale to the announcements made by Mr. Kellock in the auction room concerning the shifting boards and the undischarged cargo.

MINUTES.

Mr. Holt reported that of the £125 paid for the cost of the shifting boards the steamer had paid £50 and the charterers had paid £75. The boards had eventually been sold for about £30, and the charterers had claimed that they were entitled to three-fifths of this sum. Mr. Holt stated that the shifting boards purchased were, so far as he could ascertain, always regarded as the property of the steamer. He was asked to make further inquiries of shipowners in other trades.

Mr. Holt reported that he had given instructions to the captain to remain on board until the completion of the sale.

A question had also been raised as to whether the steamer could claim demurrage, but, as the delay in unloading appeared to have been due to the condition of the steamer, the Committee considered that it was useless to put forward any claim.

Mr. Evans undertook to ask the Admiralty to expedite the rendering of the account for coal supplied to the ship at Alexandria, Malta, and Gibraltar.

4. 8.0.

Carl."-The Committee considered that, as they were including in their expenses which they were claiming from the Admiralty a sum to cover unin- sured risks, they must bear the cost of docking the ship at Southampton. Mr. Evans undertook to inquire what arrangements would be made, and to find out whether. there was any objection to the Committee appointing their agent to decide what repairs to the ship were necessary.

Mr. Evans reported that he had received from Captain Greatorex a suggestion that some recognition should be given to Mrs. Lester for the hospitality shown by her to the officers and crew of the ship when it was driven ashore at Freshwater Bay The Committee asked Mr. Holt to ascertain from the master what expenses had been incurred by Mrs. Lester, and they decided that in any case a letter of thanks should be sent to her for her action.

5. Insurance of Cargoes at Alexandria.—The Committee considered a draft to the Foreign Office with regard to the methods adopted by the Marshal in dealing with the insurance cover, and approved it subject to certain alterations. They considered that the Procurator should be asked to make a further application to the Court to allow the remittance of the premium due to the underwriters.

Mr. Malkin stated that it was safe to assume that none of the cargo dealt with by the Prize Court was at Port Said.

6. Steamships Hamm" and "Apolda."-Mr. Tennyson reported that the timber charters for these ships had now been cancelled with the consent of the Union Government, and that the ships had been handed over to His Majesty's Government for carrying wheat from Australia. Arrangements were also being made for cargoes of coal to be carried to Mauritius or Australia on the voyages to Australia to fetch wheat. He explained that the Colonial Office had written to the Admiralty on the subject suggesting that a reasonable freight should be charged for the wheat and for any coal which might be carried on the Admiralty's account to Australia. It had already been arranged that freight should be paid for the carriage of coal to Mauritius.

The Committee considered that the insurances of the ships should be cancelled forthwith. Should it be decided that the cargoes arranged by the Admiralty were to be carried at cost price, the amount of the premium which could be credited to the Insurance Fund should be included in the costs.

The Committee also considered a letter from the Federal Steam Navigation, Company asking for approval of the form of the auditor's certificate dealing with the cost of the first two timber voyages of these ships. The Committee considered that Mr. Bebb should be asked to advise on this point. It was pointed out that the agreement with regard to the voyages provided that the certificate of expenses given by the auditors was to be accepted without appeal on either side.

7. Steamships "Damao” and “Pangim."-The Secretary reported the position of the negotiations (a) with the Portuguese Government and (b) with the cargo owners for the removal of these ships from Marmagao. He raised the question as to whether Messrs. Grahams and Company should be asked to insure their disburse- ments for the voyage, and the Committee thought that this should be done. He also pointed out that the agreement with the Portuguese Government contained no provision for the deduction by His Majesty's Government of their expenses if any condemned cargo was destroyed by fire after discharge and before its sale. The Committee agreed that it was sufficient to call the attention of the Board of Trade to the point.