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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

CO.885/25

| PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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have been paid for. In these circumstances it is impossible, course, to pay the British manufacturer's claim out of the estate of the local firm or branch, except under some general scheme which has yet to be devised. Suggestions in the matter have been sent from the Colony already, and we must await instructions from the Secretary of State before taking any further action.

24.

As will be seen from Appendix B, in eleven instances, covering £6,666 3s. 5d., the British claims have been admitted or proven. In eight of those the agents of the enemy firms, while having no knowledge of the amounts due, have authorized payment

on their own responsibility and on the strength of the supposed integrity of the claimants. It would be well in these cases to investigate the nationality of the claimants before paying the money. Of the other three, one was proven in the local courts before the outbreak of war, and the remaining two are for wages and rent of which the local agent had knowledge that justified him in authorizing payment.

25. The claims against Togoland and French colony branches of enemy firms will be dealt with, I presume, in the Colonial Office general scheme, which, I under- stand, is under consideration. Meanwhile, they must be left over, as in the case of claims against Gold Coast branches.

Firms.

26. Chevalier & Company. It is very probable that of the £19,189 15s. 4d. worth of goods that Messrs. Swanzys are selling on behalf of this firm, no more than about £10,000 worth will be sold. In the case of the remainder, generally slow selling articles, Messrs. Swanzy's commission would not be sufficient to cover expenses. This remainder then must be taken back and stored till the end of the War.

To sell it without reserve by public auction would be equivalent almost to throwing it away.

27. Augner & Mau.-This firm has no assets in the Colony, except debts owing to it which are said to amount to £2,878 12s. 4d. The agent was penniless at the time he was interned and deported, but he left his books with the agent of Messrs. Luther & Seyfert, and on the assurance of the former solicitor to the firm that some of the debts were recoverable, I authorized him to collect them. Only two small claims have so far been received.

28. F. W. Rust & Company.-The debits in the claims for £2,070 by the Bank of British West Africa are admitted by the firm's agent, but the credits, if any, received by the bank in Europe are not ascertainable, so the matter may be treated as in dispute. Again, the bank hold as security for this debt a mortgage on one of Rust's freehold houses in Seccondee, which mortgage, however, they agreed not to call in till six months after the expiration of the War. They ask, however, that any ready money balance that may remain after the other claims have been paid may be handed over in reduction of their claim. Rust & Company have some valuable freehold or leasehold property in Seccondee.

29. Two of the enemy employees, also, claim £284 198. 1d., said to be wages due by, and advances to, the firm. As, excluding the bank claim, there is a surplus of £203 148. 10d. of assets over claims, the chief agent, Mr. Puls, might be paid £10 per month during the internment as long as the surplus lasts. The other agent, Mr. Wenck, whose claim is only £27 12s. 3d., and who has £121 14s. 6d. to his credit in my hands already, need not get anything for the present out of Messrs. Rust's funds.

30. West African Mahogany Syndicate. The principal claim against this firm is one for £8.990 19s. 11d. sent in by the United Export Company, Copenhagen. The agent of the firm admits the debits submitted, but holds that the account should contain credits that are omitted. I have invited the claimants therefore to establish their rights in the courts of the Colony--a proceeding which will be scarcely worth while, as the total assets come to only about eighteen per cent. of the claim. Even if they do prove their claim, strict inquiries should be made as to their nationality before payment. The documents I have received show that they are at least in close touch with Hamburg, and it is significant that all disputes between them and the West African Mahogany Syndicate are, by agreement, to be settled by the Chamber of Commerce or Law Courts at Hamburg. Apart from the realized assets, the firm possesses eight concessions and about three hundred and eighteen mahogany logs, all of which, for the time being, are quite unsaleable, and probably at any time would not fetch more than £1,500.

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31. Henry Dietrich. In addition to the claims shown in Appendix B, one for £2,500 was sent in by Mr. Christian, B.L., the former solicitor to the firm, but was subsequently withdrawn till after the War.

32. Bousulman & Company, or John Westphal. This is an elderly German who was trading independently. When in the course of my work I had part of his scanty stock sold, a local lawyer called on me for the proceeds of sale, as he said he had seized all Westphal's property under a writ of f. fa. about June, 1914. Whether the goods sold by me formed part of those seized I have not been able to ascertain so far. Meanwhile, I have not disposed of his other goods, which however, probably would not realize £5 altogether. Some of the debts I believe will be recoverable.

33. Claus Struve & Company. The agent of this firm had been deported before I took over, but he left the property in charge of his attorney, with a note that Government could sell it at their discretion. All of it, except some unsaleable mahogany logs, has now been sold. The debts due to the firm have not been ascer- tained yet owing to the absence of a clerk, who has charge of the books.

34. Thomas Morgan & Son had an English agent, who is now trading on his own account, and who has been appointed to collect the firm's debts and look after their premises.. I have hired some of Messrs. Morgan's rolling stock to him at £39 10s. per month-which amount has been paid up to the end of May.

35. The affairs of the other firms call for no special mention. All the infor- mation that is necessary to give about them, I think, will be found earlier in this report or in Appendices A and B.

Books of the firms.-All these have been handed back to the agents of the firms, or, where no agent remains, to the former solicitor.

36.

Controlling Officer's Accounts.

37. Alien Enemy Liquidation Account. This was closed and balanced by me on 18th June, and handed to the Auditor for check. I attach his certificate.

.38. The three imprests of £50 each issued to me by the Treasurer at the beginning of the work, have all been returned, and the imprest accounts have been checked by the Auditor, whose certificates I attach. The overpayments referred to are due in nearly every case to paying travelling allowances for working days instead of for twenty-four-hour days. The short-payments were made on the accounts submitted by the payees themselves.

39.

I cannot close this report without expressing my warm gratitude to-- The Honourable Colonial Secretary (Mr. Slater), whom I always found willing to discuss difficulties with me, and whose informal advice and instructions saved

me much correspondence and greatly facilitated and simplified the work.

The Honourable Attorney-General (Mr. Townsend), whose informal advice, always readily and cheerfully given, has enabled me to surmount many difficulties and avoid many others.

The Comptroller of Customs (Mr. Archer), who was kind enough to allow me to use so largely the resources of his department in carrying out the work.

The Acting Director of Public Works (Mr. Longhurst), who voluntarily allowed me to have the services of several of his officers at times when he could badly spare them, and when their services were of great value to me.

40. I am also deeply grateful to the individual brother officers, too numerous

to mention individually here, who helped me voluntarily in what must have been to them tiresome and uninteresting duties. For each of these I am asking His Excellency to sanction gratuities.

The Honourable Colonial Secretary,

Victoriaborg, Accra.

I have, &c..

O. MITCHELL, Controlling Officer, Enemy Property.

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